Organic Foods Quiz

Organic foods continue to draw great interest, but how much do you really know about them? Take this true/false quiz and find out.

1. The organic seal means “pesticide free.”

2. Organic products are more nutritious than non-organic foods.

3. Organic foods are less likely than conventional foods to have bacteria that can cause illness.

4. Organic snacks have fewer calories and are more nutritious than their conventional counterparts.

5. The production of organic meat and poultry is more humane than the non-organic variety.

I hope you answered “false” to every statement, because none of them are accurate.  Organic farming involves botanical pesticides, and synthetic pesticide residue from nearby farms has been known to drift over and contaminate organic crops.  The nutrient level of produce, meat and dairy products is dependent on many factors including plant variety, soil, climate, and processing and storage methods.  The data do not support a higher level of nutrition in organic foods.  Organic foods can harbor harmful bacteria, just as conventional foods can, due to growing, handling, and processing methods.  Organic snacks and sweets unfortunately are not lower in calories than non-organic products, and they may have an equal amount of sugar, salt, and saturated fat, although they do not contain trans fats - a definite plus. 

The statement closest to being true is the last one.  There are standards for the grazing of organic dairy and beef animals that require at least four months of pasture grazing and year-round access to a pasture.  While this gives the animals freedom from cages, length of time outdoors and the quality of outdoor space are not specified.  There is no regulation that organic animals be slaughtered more humanely either.

Source: UC Berkeley Wellness Letter March 2012