Recently, organic foods have increased in popularity due to the perceived health benefits which have come about from the clean eating trend. Let’s look at the benefits and possible disadvantages of buying and eating organic fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat.
First of all it is important to define what makes a food “organic”. Foods are labelled as organic when the use of chemicals to fertilise, control weeds and prevent diseases is prohibited. This is replaced for more natural methods including the use of mulch to rotate the crops.
The Benefits of Organic Food
- Organic foods have been convincingly demonstrated to expose consumers to fewer pesticides which are associated with human disease.
- There is less environmental impact than conventional approaches.
The Possible Disadvantages of Organic Food
- Organic foods cost more because of labour-intensive practices that are involved in making the foods. Therefore premium pricing is not economical for many families.
- Due to the fact that organic foods are not treated with preservatives or sprayed with wax to extend shelf life, organic foods do not always look perfect.
It is important to recognise that foods with the label all-natural, hormone-free, or free-range are not necessarily organic foods. We hope this article has helped to dispel some of the confusion associated with the definition of organic food.