The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began certifying organic products in 2002. To qualify, growers, processors and handlers must all adhere to the following federal standards: A farm must be chemical free for a minimum of three years before certification. Farmers must protect the soil and water by rotating crops and properly composting and storing manure. And, organic food processors cannot use chemical preservatives, coloring agents, waxes or irradiation treatment.

Today, organic foods and beverages are available in nearly every food category in the supermarket. Fresh fruits and vegetable, however, make up nearly three-quarters of organic food sales. Surprisingly, only 3% of that is baby food. This may be because typical organic buyers are not shopping for the family. Instead, they tend to be mature consumers— and maturing Baby Boomers—seeking the nutritional benefits of organic foods. This consumer group also includes Generation Xers with environmental concerns.

To the benefit of all organic consumers, the growing demand for these products has resulted in a significant increase in availability. Many major store brands now offer organic products. In Southwest Michigan, all of the major grocery chains offer a wide variety of organic foods, some of which are locally grown. Local health food stores also offer a wide variety of organic products and their staffs are well versed in the health benefits of these products. Sawall Health Food, Natural Health Center, People’s Food Co-op in Kalamazoo, plus Annes’s Health Foods in Hastings all carry organic foods and products.

People’s Food Co-op is a full-service grocer that has specialized in locally grown and sourced food since its inception 35 years ago. Many of its products are organic as well as local.

Chris Dilley, General Manager of the Kalamazoo People’s Food Co-op says the burgeoning organic market is growing in Southwest Michigan, too.

“There is clearly a broader interest and desire in having organic food,” Dilley says. The Kalamazoo People’s Food Co-op has seen this demonstrated through both membership and sales increases that are reflective of the national trends.

Dilley cautions that, “Organic alone does not mean local,” though the benefits of locally purchased foods, he adds, are many. “You’re not only supporting local growers but you’re getting food that’s just out of the ground. That’s when the nutritional content is the highest.”

As Dilley has seen among co-op members and shoppers, organic foods have become synonymous with a healthy lifestyle.

To find organic products, look for the USDA Organic label. But be aware, that is only a 95% certification. The National Organic Standards Board has approved 38 synthetic substances as ingredients that may go into the remaining 5% of any organic food. These are mostly leavening agents, thickeners and vitamins, and include salt, yeast and lecithin.

And there are important certification exceptions. According to a recent Consumer Reports magazine, the USDA has no standards for organic seafood, or for the terms “natural and “all natural” when applied to meat and poultry products.

Perhaps more at issue, there is still no conclusive evidence that organic food is healthier than non-organic food because there has been very little direct research. The research that does exist, though, is very telling.
A study by researchers in Chicago, for example, found that organic food can have a nutrient content as much as 90% higher than non-organic food. Many of the chemicals that are prohibited from organic food are considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to likely cause cancer. In fact the EPA estimates that 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides, and 30% of all insecticides are carcinogens. Though it is important to note that that study was conducted in 1995 and little additional research has been done.
Organic food does ensure that you’re not consuming any of these chemicals, although Consumer Reports says not all commercially grown food contains chemicals. Processed foods and produce items like cauliflower, sweet corn, broccoli, mangos, and sweet peas, they report, rarely test positive for “multiple pesticide residues.”

Some fruits and vegetables such as apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, spinach, and strawberries consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others and these— according to the USDA’s own lab tests— can’t always be removed even after washing.

To save money, Consumer Reports recommends buying locally, citing a USDA study that found 40% of local growers do not charge premium prices for organic products. Other experts suggest that commercial organic products can be as much as 25 % higher than non-organic foods.

More information:
See the organic certification standards, exceptions and market information by visiting www.usda.gov.
The Chicago study on nutritional content cited is, “Organic Foods vs Supermarket Foods: Element Levels,” published in the Journal of Applied Nutrition, Volume 45-1.
“When it Pays to Buy Organic,” in the February 2006 edition of Consumer Reports.
Pesticides and their use on food http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/.