Are Organic Foods Really Worth the Hype? Special

Portland - Some people favor organic foods. But are they worth the hype and are they really safer than non-organic foods? Digital Journal decided to find out by learning what people say and science now supports.

The International Horticultural Congress has recently announced its annual conference will be held in Lisbon, Portugal August 22 -27 to meet and discuss new information about organic foods. Like other organizations of its kind, the IHC is a proponent of organic foods because they believe foods raised without chemicals and pesticides are particularly healthy. In Portland, Oregon, the interest in organic and local foods is demonstrated by the popularity of a Northwest brand called The New Seasons. But first what are organic foods and how are they defined? The USDA has created certain standards for food to be labeled organic, according to WebMD. These include producing products without conventional pesticides, including herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing. For animals to be labeled organically raised they have to be fed organic feed, kept free of growth hormones and antibiotics and allowed to graze outdoors. One measure of determining whether or not organic foods are better for human consumption than foods that are not so labeled is whether they are safer. Some studies have been made on this subject. "If you're talking about pesticides, the evidence is pretty conclusive. Your chances of getting pesticide residues are much less with organic food," says John Reganold, professor of soil science at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington who has looked into this subject and affirmed the value of organic foods in an article reported in Mother Earth News in 2008 Additional studies affirm the value of organic foods. A study at the University of California-Davis found organic foods are healthier than non-organic foods because they are free from chemicals that have been found to negatively impact human health. Led by professor and food chemist Alyson Mitchell, a study compared levels of two flavonoids — quercetin and kaempferol — in organic and nonorganic tomatoes. Flavonoids are the plant compounds scientists maintain promote good health and afford protection against cancer, dementia and heart disease. The study, like others cited here, emphasized the value of eating organic. The Mayo Clinic outlines what type of foods are healthy and agrees with WebMD and Mother Earth News that foods grown without pesticides are healthier than those who have not. But the website warns consumers to read the labels because some people will claim their food is organic while it is not. Portland, Oregon has a number of markets that have organic food departments. In addition there is a store that caters specifically to Northwest customers and predominates in the Portland area called New Seasons.

Carol Forsloff

The New Seasons is a store that specializes in locally-grown and organic foods. These people are shown shopping in this predominantly Northwest food chain in Portland, Oregon.

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Digital Journal interviewed Kim Peterson, a frequent customer at New Seasons, to hear what she has to say. She declared, "I really love the store. It has many healthy choices. The fact that it has organic food is important to me. I have allergies, and I find that eating foods grown locally organic helps control this problem. This is a place where the customer can find a variety of different foods, well labeled so a person can tell the content from reading the information." "Do you visit New Seasons often?" Peterson was asked. She declared,"The place is great because you get to sample stuff before you buy. Also the store has books and brochures about the products. You can sit down and taste some of the food, then read books with recipes about the foods so you know the variety of dishes you can make."

Carol Forsloff

Kim Peterson, shown here, is an avid fan of the New Seasons, a specialty food store in Portland, Oregon that favors organic foods.

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Going green and being a leader in the process of healthy eating is Portland's way of saying part of good health is good eating, as demonstrated by the New Seasons. As reflected by what clerks and customers of the New Seasons say and research supports, organic foods are worth hype and the extra money too.