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When is organic worth the extra cost?
Updated Sun. Aug. 16 2009 7:27 AM ET
Angela Mulholland, CTV.ca News Staff
If your family is like most, you'd love to eat organic all the time. And why not? Not very many of us are comfortable with the idea of pesticides, many of which were approved decades ago, when smoking was a great idea and seat belts were just a suggestion.
The hormones in our meat and dairy products have many of us worried as well, never mind the antibiotics in feed that might be contributing to antibiotics resistance.
But most of us simply can't afford to go organic all the time -- especially in this economy. For those who live in small towns, 100 per cent organic is not even an option, with the pickings at the local grocer slim and the idea of an organic health food store just that: an idea.
So if you have to make choices, which grocery items are worth the extra money for organic and which aren't?
The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., has come up with a list of what produce items are most worth buying organic, as well as those that probably aren't worth the extra expense because they have such few pesticide residues.
The EWG came out with this list in 1995 and has updated it four times since then, releasing its latest edition in March. To compile the rankings, the group analyzed data from 87,000 tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration on 47 of the most popular fruits and vegetables. Nearly all the studies tested the produce as it would be eaten; so bananas, for example, were peeled before they were tested, while apples were simply washed.
"Most of these fruits and vegetables have several kinds of pesticides on them and that's something we took into account when we made this list," the EWG's Amy Rosenthal told CTV.ca by phone.
The EWG estimates that consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80 per cent by avoiding what it calls the "Dirty Dozen" of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables, as well as a list of the items that are probably not worth the added expense:
Dirty Dozen
Buy these organic
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Grapes (imported)
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. Potatoes
Clean 15
Lowest in pesticides
1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Watermelon
According to Rosenthal, the EWG says it was not able to evaluate organic meat and dairy products, because data just isn't available. So is it worth buying organic meat and dairy, which is almost always more expensive than the conventionally produced stuff -- sometimes more than twice the price or more?
Dan Henry thinks so, "especially if your family eats a lot of meat or drinks a lot of milk." Henry is the owner of Green Earth Organics, an organic food delivery service operating in Vancouver and Toronto.
"If your budget was such that you could only afford certain things organic, I would just buy those items that you eat the most," he advises. So if your family drinks a lot of milk, you might decide it's worth it to buy organic. And if you buy baby food, you should consider the organic brands, especially since children's growing bodies are thought to be especially vulnerable to toxins.
Henry's business sells all things organic, including produce, dairy, packaged foods, and Earth-friendly cleaning products. He says organic dairy and meat is consistently more expensive than conventional counterparts, simply because organic dairy and meat farms tend to be smaller and more labour-intensive. But he says organic produce is often very reasonable.
"Our prices are comparable to health food stores -- sometimes better. We also offer case specials for those who want to buy in bulk. And we have standing order discounts, so that regular weekly or bi-weekly customers can get a five-per-cent discount on the items they order every week."
He says there are lots of factors that affect the price of organic produce, which can vary from week to week and season to season. Buying a food product in season is the best way to get organic food at a good price, he says; it's a simple matter of supply and demand. For shoppers who want to keep their costs low, that means being flexible with what's in season and creating meal plans around the most affordable produce.
"For example, now is a great time to be buying berries in bulk for canning or freezing for the winter months when we don't have as much available," he suggests.
Buying directly from an organic farmer is another great way to get a good price, though for busy city dwellers, it's not always easy to get out to a farm for the weekly grocery run.
That's where CSAs come in.
CSA stands for Community-Shared Agriculture. With a CSA, families buy shares in a farm prior to the growing season. Produce from the farm is harvested and delivered fresh the same day to agreed-upon drop-off spots. In some cases, some farms get together for a CSA, so that each farm provides a different rotation of crops.
The advantages for shoppers are ultra-fresh, local food, including some items they may never have chosen at the grocery store before. For the farmer, his costs are covered upfront, with every "shareholder" sharing the risk. If the season is bad and yields aren't huge, everybody shoulders the burden. But if there's a bumper crop, everyone gets extra. It's win-win.
If it's local and fresh you want, farmers' markets are the best deal in town. Produce from local farmers' markets isn't always organic -- though some is -- but it will be freshly picked and maybe tastier. What's more, it might be better for the environment as it will not have travelled as far in gas-guzzling vehicles as your organic pears from Peru will have.
Rosenthal notes that oftentimes, food at farmers' markets is not officially organic but comes from farmers who believe in sustainable farming.
Some might be making the transition to organic farming but haven't had their soil free of pesticides long enough to qualify. Others may practice mostly organic farming but don't want to go through the hassle of the certification process, which includes inspections of farm fields and processing facilities, detailed record keeping and periodic testing of soil and water. Others may grow crops that just don't need a lot of spraying. So if you don't see a sign saying the produce is organic, just ask.
Whether or not you buy organic, you can reduce pesticide residues on food with the following tips:
Updated Sun. Aug. 16 2009 7:27 AM ET
Angela Mulholland, CTV.ca News Staff
If your family is like most, you'd love to eat organic all the time. And why not? Not very many of us are comfortable with the idea of pesticides, many of which were approved decades ago, when smoking was a great idea and seat belts were just a suggestion.
The hormones in our meat and dairy products have many of us worried as well, never mind the antibiotics in feed that might be contributing to antibiotics resistance.
But most of us simply can't afford to go organic all the time -- especially in this economy. For those who live in small towns, 100 per cent organic is not even an option, with the pickings at the local grocer slim and the idea of an organic health food store just that: an idea.
So if you have to make choices, which grocery items are worth the extra money for organic and which aren't?
The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., has come up with a list of what produce items are most worth buying organic, as well as those that probably aren't worth the extra expense because they have such few pesticide residues.
The EWG came out with this list in 1995 and has updated it four times since then, releasing its latest edition in March. To compile the rankings, the group analyzed data from 87,000 tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration on 47 of the most popular fruits and vegetables. Nearly all the studies tested the produce as it would be eaten; so bananas, for example, were peeled before they were tested, while apples were simply washed.
"Most of these fruits and vegetables have several kinds of pesticides on them and that's something we took into account when we made this list," the EWG's Amy Rosenthal told CTV.ca by phone.
The EWG estimates that consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80 per cent by avoiding what it calls the "Dirty Dozen" of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables, as well as a list of the items that are probably not worth the added expense:
Dirty Dozen
Buy these organic
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Grapes (imported)
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. Potatoes
Clean 15
Lowest in pesticides
1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Watermelon
According to Rosenthal, the EWG says it was not able to evaluate organic meat and dairy products, because data just isn't available. So is it worth buying organic meat and dairy, which is almost always more expensive than the conventionally produced stuff -- sometimes more than twice the price or more?
Dan Henry thinks so, "especially if your family eats a lot of meat or drinks a lot of milk." Henry is the owner of Green Earth Organics, an organic food delivery service operating in Vancouver and Toronto.
"If your budget was such that you could only afford certain things organic, I would just buy those items that you eat the most," he advises. So if your family drinks a lot of milk, you might decide it's worth it to buy organic. And if you buy baby food, you should consider the organic brands, especially since children's growing bodies are thought to be especially vulnerable to toxins.
Henry's business sells all things organic, including produce, dairy, packaged foods, and Earth-friendly cleaning products. He says organic dairy and meat is consistently more expensive than conventional counterparts, simply because organic dairy and meat farms tend to be smaller and more labour-intensive. But he says organic produce is often very reasonable.
"Our prices are comparable to health food stores -- sometimes better. We also offer case specials for those who want to buy in bulk. And we have standing order discounts, so that regular weekly or bi-weekly customers can get a five-per-cent discount on the items they order every week."
He says there are lots of factors that affect the price of organic produce, which can vary from week to week and season to season. Buying a food product in season is the best way to get organic food at a good price, he says; it's a simple matter of supply and demand. For shoppers who want to keep their costs low, that means being flexible with what's in season and creating meal plans around the most affordable produce.
"For example, now is a great time to be buying berries in bulk for canning or freezing for the winter months when we don't have as much available," he suggests.
Buying directly from an organic farmer is another great way to get a good price, though for busy city dwellers, it's not always easy to get out to a farm for the weekly grocery run.
That's where CSAs come in.
CSA stands for Community-Shared Agriculture. With a CSA, families buy shares in a farm prior to the growing season. Produce from the farm is harvested and delivered fresh the same day to agreed-upon drop-off spots. In some cases, some farms get together for a CSA, so that each farm provides a different rotation of crops.
The advantages for shoppers are ultra-fresh, local food, including some items they may never have chosen at the grocery store before. For the farmer, his costs are covered upfront, with every "shareholder" sharing the risk. If the season is bad and yields aren't huge, everybody shoulders the burden. But if there's a bumper crop, everyone gets extra. It's win-win.
If it's local and fresh you want, farmers' markets are the best deal in town. Produce from local farmers' markets isn't always organic -- though some is -- but it will be freshly picked and maybe tastier. What's more, it might be better for the environment as it will not have travelled as far in gas-guzzling vehicles as your organic pears from Peru will have.
Rosenthal notes that oftentimes, food at farmers' markets is not officially organic but comes from farmers who believe in sustainable farming.
Some might be making the transition to organic farming but haven't had their soil free of pesticides long enough to qualify. Others may practice mostly organic farming but don't want to go through the hassle of the certification process, which includes inspections of farm fields and processing facilities, detailed record keeping and periodic testing of soil and water. Others may grow crops that just don't need a lot of spraying. So if you don't see a sign saying the produce is organic, just ask.
Whether or not you buy organic, you can reduce pesticide residues on food with the following tips:
- Scrub produce under streaming water, even produce with inedible skins such as cantaloupe.
- Remove the peel from fruits and vegetables, though that may lower the nutrient content.
- Remove the outer leaves of leafy vegetables.
- Trim fat and skin from meat and poultry because pesticides can collect in fat.
- Plant a garden and grow your own organic produce. Start out with something easy like herbs or tomatoes and take it from there.
