In essence, there isn't a big difference between the two. They look very similar and, in most cases, they also taste very similar. Organic foods usually contain the same amount of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals as non-organic foods. For a food to be labeled as organic, the producer must have the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) verify their cultivation practices and approve all their production methods.
Organic foods generally contain fewer pesticides, fewer multidrug-resistant bacteria, and no genetically modified organisms or foods. The term organic refers to the process of producing certain foods. Organic foods are grown or grown without the use of artificial chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. Whereas non-organic foods are produced conventionally, which includes the use of artificial chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, medicines, etc.
Discover the difference between organic foods and their traditionally grown counterparts when it comes to nutrition, safety and price.
Organic foods, once found only in health food stores
, are now a common feature in most grocery stores. And that has created a small problem in the produce aisle. For example, you can pick an apple grown with the usual (conventional) methods.Or you can choose one that is organic. Both apples are firm, shiny and red. Both provide vitamins and fiber. And no apple has fat, salt or cholesterol.
Which one should you choose? Know the facts before you buy. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires that all organic foods meet strict government standards. These regulations control the way in which such foods are grown, handled and processed. Any product labeled as organic in the product description or packaging must be USDA certified.
If certified, the producer can also use an official USDA organic seal. Products certified as 95 percent or more organic may display this USDA seal. No, natural and organic are different. Usually, the term “natural” on a food label means that the product has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
What's natural on a label doesn't have to do with the methods or materials used to grow food ingredients. Also, be careful not to mix other common food labels with organic labels. For example, guidelines for certified organic beef include access to pastures for at least 120 days of the grazing season and the absence of growth hormones. However, the labels “raised in freedom” or “without hormones” do not mean that a farmer has followed all the guidelines for organic certification.
Some data show the possible health benefits of organic foods compared to foods grown using the usual (conventional) process. These studies have demonstrated differences in foods. However, there is limited information to demonstrate how these differences can provide possible general health benefits. The key differences between organic and non-organic products boil down to what the term “organic” actually means.
One such study found that antioxidant levels could be up to 69% higher in organic foods compared to non-organic foods. If your family is on a tight budget, avoid eating organic products and instead try to meet the goal of five servings of fruits and vegetables with non-organic foods. Organic foods have more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and micronutrients than commercially grown foods because the soil is nourished by sustainable agricultural practices. If you want to choose a few things to buy organic products, the Environmental Working Group publishes a list every year of 12 foods that contain the highest level of pesticides and 15 foods with the lowest pesticide content.
It's important to remember that there will always be natural variations between the foods harvested and raised depending on all kinds of factors, not just whether a particular food is organic or non-organic. So sit back, relax and let us tell you about organic and non-organic foods and what that means for the conventional foods you eat. The international team responsible for the work suggests that switching to organic fruits and vegetables could offer the same benefits as adding one or two servings out of the five recommended per day. On the other hand, organic fruits and vegetables have a higher nutritional quality than non-organic foods, since they are grown naturally.
A disadvantage of non-organic foods is that you may be consuming higher levels of pesticides, antibiotics, or hormones, and your food may come from growing conditions that aren't as regulated as organic products. Trend or not, it's clear that organic foods are here to stay because of the myriad health benefits. It's probably no surprise that organic foods, in particular organic farming, tend to be better for the environment than non-organic products. .
