Organic (not so) Common Sense ...

I will be the first to admit that I've never taken the topic of organic foods seriously. Somehow, paying twice the money so that cows and chickens can run around free before being (I'll say it nicely) "taken to market", never made much sense to me. Besides the money and the philosophy aspects, the whole topic of organic has just been plain confusing. Reports of high mercury content in "organic" fish, fights over the cumulative impact of pesticides in fruit and vegtables, big-industry taking advantage of loopholes in federal organic guidelines, and to cap it all off ... as if it were all a bad joke ... organic cosmetics are stealing more than their fair share of the limelight. But with a two year old that drinks 30 ounces of milk a day (and a wife that understands the importance of organic a thousand fold more than I do) I've been relunctant to take the risks associated with saving a few bucks.

Thankfully, Consumer Reports recently published their own findings here "When It Pays To Buy Organic" and here "When Organic Pays (And Doesn't)".

In summary, these Consumer Reports articles point out the following about organic foods:

• The good news: New studies show that by eating organic food, you can greatly reduce your exposure to chemicals found in conventionally produced food.
  

• More good news: You don’t have to clean out your wallet to buy organic foods if you know which ones to buy and where.

• Buy more: Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, strawberries, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, and baby food.

• If price is no object, buy more: Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, sweet peas, breads, oils, potato chips, pasta, cereals, and other packaged foods, such as canned or dried fruit and vegetables.

• Don't bother buying: Seafood.

• The bad news: As more big players enter the organic market, government standards have come under attack. So it’s more important than ever to understand food labeling and what’s behind it.

These two articles really go a long way towards making organic a more common sense topic among cost-consious individuals and families.

Matt