October 2007
Organics
in Overdrive — The Explosion of Natural Food Products
By Marie Spano, MS, RD, CISSN
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 8 No. 10 P. 66
Organic sales are picking up speed thanks
to increased exposure in large chain markets and superstores.
Looking for organic products? Many consumers
are heading to Wal-Mart, their neighborhood grocery store, or
their local college cafeteria. According to preliminary findings
from the Organic Trade Association’s 2007 Manufacturer
Survey, US organic food sales grew by 22.1% in 2006, reaching
$16.9 billion. This growth is evident by increased shelf space
in grocery stores and superstores across the country.
Why are so many people turning toward organic
food? Is it truly healthier? The organic vs. conventional food
debate has been brewing for years, though the heat has recently
increased thanks to more media coverage on the use of antibiotics
and growth hormones in food.
Organic
Basics
The USDA sets the standards for organic food. Organic meat,
poultry, eggs, and dairy come from animals not given antibiotics
or growth hormones and raised on 100% organic feed while having
access to the outdoors. Organic food is produced without the
use of most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic
ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.
Prior to a product being labeled organic, a government-approved
certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to ensure
all USDA standards are being met. Farmers selling less than
$5,000 in organic products are exempt from certification, though
they still must follow all organic standards. All companies
that handle or process food labeled as organic must also be
certified prior to that food hitting store shelves.1
Organic does not mean that all products come
from small, local farms. In fact, with the rise in organic popularity,
many large corporations have organic lines that may travel long
distances in gas-guzzling trucks before reaching local shelves.
Is Organic Healthier
and Safer?
The USDA does not make any claims regarding the safety or nutritional
value of organic food compared with conventionally grown food.
Yet, proponents on both sides have debated these issues for
years. A recent report from the British Nutrition Foundation
indicated that organic food is not more nutritious than conventionally
produced food.
A few caveats to this general rule of thumb:
Organic potatoes are richer sources of vitamin C than conventionally
grown potatoes, and one half of the studies examined in this
review found higher levels of vitamin C in organically produced
vegetables while no studies showed lower levels of vitamin C
in organic vegetables. Some studies examined in this review
also showed slightly higher nutrient levels of alpha-linolenic
acid, conjugated linoleic acid, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene,
and/or a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids to
monounsaturated fatty acids in the organically produced dairy.
However, organic or not, dairy products are not a great source
of any of these nutrients.
The author of this study concluded that more
research needs to be done, though nutrition isn’t typically
the reason people consume organic products. Instead, consumers
are more likely to choose organic for environmental reasons
and to minimize pesticide consumption.2
Contrary to the aforementioned study, the
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found
that dried tomato samples over a 10-year period showed organically
produced tomatoes contained significantly more of the flavonoids
quercetin and kaempferol than traditional tomatoes.3 Again,
additional research likely needs to be conducted to settle this
debate.
Although the belief is that organic foods contain
fewer chemicals than conventionally produced foods, it is unclear
how significant this difference is concerning human health.
The government sets standards for pesticide residues in conventionally
grown food as a measure to ensure safety for humans. However,
the potential effects of long-term exposure to pesticides and
herbicides, combined with the complexities of genetics and exposure
to other chemicals in the environment, remain unclear.
Gaining Ground
Growth in the organic market can be attributed to numerous factors—from
consumer fear of hormones and antibiotics to enticing new product
launches and increased consumer accessibility.
Organic product sales are growing overall, with
sales of organic beverages through food, drug, mass merchandisers,
and the natural supermarket channel fueling this growth. In
2006, organic beverage sales topped $1.3 billion, according
to Mintel International. This increase is largely due to the
increase in organic dairy sales. According to the Organic Trade
Association, sales of organic dairy products in the United States
grew 24% from 2004 to 2005 for a total of $2.14 billion in 2005.
A survey conducted by Mintel revealed that this growth is largely
attributed to fears of bovine growth hormone and antibiotics,
though some chose organic milk because they preferred the taste.
While organic dairy may seem safer, other organic
beverages, such as juices, are not pasteurized and contain no
preservatives, thereby possibly increasing the risk of foodborne
illness in such products.
New Products
The term organic is popping up on a variety of new products.
New organic beverages include an increased number of carbonated
beverages (including the first certified glycemic index-tested
organic carbonated beverage), unsweetened almond beverages,
and powdered drink mixes. Fairly new organic products for children
include docosahexaenoic acid-fortified organic milk, organic
nutrition bars marketed with kid-friendly packages, and fortified
powdered nutrition drinks intended for mixing with milk.
Accessibility
Organics have captured the attention of big grocery chains and
superstores, making the products more accessible and noticeable
to the everyday consumer. In 2006, Wal-Mart indicated it would
double its shelf space devoted to organic products and include
a variety of such products, including milk, produce, and packaged
foods. Other stores responded to this by also increasing shelf
space and obtaining a government-backed seal indicating they
are certified organic retailers. The seal designates how these
retailers handle organic foods. For instance, organic fruits
and vegetables cannot be handled alongside conventionally grown
vegetables (eg, washed with them, stacked on top of them), and
organic meats cannot be sliced on the same slicer as conventional
meats.
In addition to increased shelf space, some grocery
chains, such as Winn-Dixie, Publix, Kroger, and Safeway, sell
their own organic brand of dairy and soy products, which typically
costs less than name brands. With increased competition, it
makes sense for superstores and grocery stores to make themselves
the “one stop shop” for their consumers.
College cafeterias are also making way for organic
foods. The University of California, Berkeley has an organic
salad bar; Yale has an organic-only cafeteria with preference
given to locally grown and produced organics; Bates College,
the College of the Atlantic, Middlebury College, the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, and American University are just a few
schools offering some organic foods.
What will organic look like in years to come?
Growth in organic sales and the number of organic products will
be dependent on numerous factors, including the safety of our
food supply; scientific research exposing potential health effects
of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, and hormones in our
food; competition from “natural” products and those
labeled as “bovine growth hormone and antibiotic-free”;
clear government regulations upholding organic standards; and
continually increasing availability of organic products in mainstream
stores.
— Marie Spano, MS, RD, CISSN, is an
exercise physiologist; vice president of the International Society
of Sports Nutrition (ISSN); spokesperson for the Tea Council
of the USA and the ISSN; and a freelance writer, consultant,
and speaker in the nutrition, fitness, and health industries.
References
1. The National Organic Program. Organic food
standards and labels: The facts. Updated January 2007. Available
here.
2. Williamson CS. Is organic food better for
our health? Nutrition Bulletin. 2007;32(2):104-108.
3. Mitchell AE, Hong YJ, Koh E, et al. Ten-year
comparison of the influence of organic and conventional crop
management practices on the content of flavonoids in tomatoes.
J Agric Food Chem. 2007;55(15):6154-6159.
What Is Organic?
Single ingredient foods such as fruits and vegetables should
be labeled as 100% organic and carry a small USDA seal. Multi-ingredient
foods produced according to USDA organic standards and containing
at least 95% organically produced ingredients can carry the
USDA organic seal. The following terms may also appear on the
food label:
• 100% organic — products containing
all organic ingredients;
• Organic — products containing
at least 95% organic ingredients*; and
• Made with organic ingredients —
products containing at least 70% organic ingredients.
Products with less than 70% organic ingredients
cannot make any claims but can list organically produced ingredients
on the package side panel.
* On June 22, the USDA gave interim approval
to a proposal allowing 38 nonorganic ingredients to be used
in foods that contain 95% organic ingredients or less. Included
in this list are 19 food colorings, two starches, intestinal
casings for hot dogs, fish oil, chipotle chili peppers, celery
powder, chia, dill weed oil, Turkish bay leaves, Wakame seaweed,
frozen lemongrass, frozen galangal, hops for beer, gelatin,
oligofructose-enriched inulin, whey protein concentrate, gelatin,
unbleached orange shellac, unmodified rice starch, sweet potato
starch, konjac flour, and fructooligosaccharides. Everything
on the list does not have an organic alternative that is commercially
available. Products that are 100% organic cannot include such
ingredients.
Though this proposal has caused an uproar among
many individuals, nonorganic ingredients have been used in the
past in organic products when such ingredients were not available
organically in the quality and quantity needed. In fact, several
manufacturers have petitioned the FDA that they rely on such
nonorganic ingredients in small quantities.
— MS
Resources
How to Go Organic.com:
www.howtogoorganic.com
The National Organic Program:
www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/Consumerhome.html
Organic Farming Research Foundation:
http://ofrf.org
Organic Trade Association:
www.ota.com
