Originally published January 10 2006
Organic food industry continues to grow, as do health claims
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Woodtv.com features an insightful article that details the growth of the organic food industry, including a helpful guide to consumers who want to sort through a bevy of labels that can confuse food experts.
No longer just staples in health-food stores or at farmers' markets, organic products are increasingly found in traditional supermarkets.
The U.S. organic food industry surpassed $10 billion in consumer sales in 2003, according to the Organic Trade Association, which estimates the market has grown 17 percent to 21 percent each year since 1997.
"Organic means the agricultural product from livestock or crop has met certain standards," said Joan Shaffer, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which regulates organic standards.
If meat, poultry, eggs or dairy products are labeled organic, they must come from animals given no antibiotics or growth hormones, according to the USDA.
Organic produce is made without using "most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation," the USDA says.
If a label says "certified organic," it means the agricultural products have been grown and processed according to USDA's national organic standards and then certified by one of the USDA-accredited certification organizations.
The certifying agent reviews applications from farmers and processors for certification eligibility, explains the USDA.
Then, qualified inspectors perform annual onsite inspections to be sure the growers comply with standards.
Ryan Zinn, a spokesman for the Minnesota-based Organic Consumers Association, said organic foods are safer and healthier.
A study published in 2004 in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry compared organically and conventionally grown yellow plums, finding that ascorbic acid, vitamin E and beta-carotene levels were higher in organic plums.
But some other nutrients, including quercetin, a bioflavonoid, were higher in conventional plums, the researchers found.
"They call them botanical products" instead of pesticides, Avery added.
For instance, he said, some organic farmers use pyrethrum, a derivative of the chrysanthemum plant.
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