Ginny Ryan (Rochester, NY) 02/10/05 -- Foods labeled as "organic" must be grown without synthetic pesticides and chemicals and usually cost more than other produce. However, many people wonder if organic foods really better and worth the extra money?
Christine Hanfling and her husband Carl share a grocery cart, but they don't share the same views on organic food. Christine says she doesn't like chemicals, so buying the more expensive organic fruits and vegetables are worth it to her for health reasons.
However, Carl says show me the studies that proves they're better.
"Economically, I don't think the benefits outweigh buying organic as opposed to buying 'normal' products. I've never seen any studies to indicate that organic improves one's health as opposed to the normal fruits and vegetables," he said.
Christine and Carl could, very well, represent the organic food fight among scientists.
Dr. Bob King, head of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, says the research doesn't support either side.
"We have very little evidence to suggest that [organic] is advantageous over conventional produced foods. It does have a bit of an advantage, because it may be more environmentally friendly," he said.
What is indisputable is the huge growth in organic food sales and its increasing appeal on store shelves. It used to be that organic produce just didn't look as good as the "regular" kind. But today, if it wasn't for the label, it could be hard to tell the difference by sight alone. In the last five years, the appearance of organic produce has improved in some cases dramatically.
Ten years ago, Wegmans threw away much of its organic produce, but not anymore. The stores' overall sales have jumped 70 percent since last year. Wegmans has responded by increasing organic offerings, especially at its upscale stores.
Wegmans' nutritionist Jane Andrews said that people are buying based on feelings and not necessarily fact.
"Customers want to believe that it's better for them, that it's safer, that it's more nutritious. I can't say that, because there is no proof," she said.
However, there is substantial proof about the benefits of fruits and vegetables. Many experts agree that if choosing organic or conventional makes you feel better and eat more of the healthy tidbits then by all means--do it.
During a shopping trip to Wegmans, a side by side comparison of organic and conventional produce found that the organic versions cost more in every category sometimes by as much as 50 percent. But, as the popularity continues to grow, prices are expected to come down.
COMMENT: From a clinical aspect we do see that people are able to get their body more alkaline and seem to fight disease better when consuming organic produce. I would suggest doing a taste test. Very quickly you will notice that an organic tomatoe tastes much better than a grocery store tomatoe. Also an organic tomatoe is a tomatoe while a grocery store tomatoe has a good chance to be genetically modified. There will probably never be any good studies done because someone will end up with the short stick...guess who that someone is.
