Synthetics By definition of the USDA, who sets the certification pro-


grams for organic farming, an organic food, whether it is ani- mal or plant, is one that limits or excludes the use of synthetic materials during production. However, the key word here to note is “limits”. There are actually some synthetic materials allowed in organic foods, which you can access through the USDA website under the National List of Allowed and Prohib- ited Substances. This includes synthetic sulfur dioxide, which is allowed in wines labeled “made with organic grapes” as long as the content of total sulfite does not exceed 100ppm. Synthetics are not always bad or harmful however, like the synthetic potassium citrate and sodium phosphate allowed in certain organic foods, as they prevent the food from melting, spoiling or losing its original shape (cheese for example).


Pesticides As far as pesticide use, organic foods actually do often use


certain pesticides in their production. The difference is that these pesticides are biopesticides. Biopesticides are types of pesticides derived from such materials as animals, plants, bac- teria, and minerals. In organic farming a common microbial biopesticide used is the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt. Bt is related to a species of bacteria that causes food poisoning and also to the bacterium that causes anthrax (bacillus anthra- cis). Bt toxin kills only very specific species of insects. Many organic farmers have used Bt for over 50 years as a pesticide to control insects. Bt is also used to control mosquitoes, and other insects that bite and spread disease. According to the EPA (environmental protection agency), Bt products are found to be safe for use in the environment and with mammals. The EPA has not found any human health hazards related to using Bt, and deems it safe enough that it has exempted Bt from food residue tolerances, groundwater restrictions, endangered spe- cies labeling and special review requirements. However, not everyone agrees with the EPA.


Carcinogens In terms of eating organic foods to lower our intake of car-


cinogenic compounds, potentially such as some pesticides, Bruce Ames, a toxicologist and National Science Medal win- ner, reports that 99.99 percent of the carcinogens we swal- low grow naturally in our fruits and vegetables—put there by Mother Nature to fend off the insects, bacteria and fungi. Eat- ing organic food makes one ten-thousandth of a percent differ- ence in our risk for cancer. More concerning cancer risks in- clude obesity (which plagues more and more Americans each day from excessive sugar intake and lack of physical activity) and smoking. Organically grown vegetables are also found to contain


significant concentrations of PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydro- carbons (PAHs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), when assessed by independent research groups. The way to reduce exposure to these contaminants is to peel the outside layer off the item in question.


www.naturalnutmeg.com August 2010 29


Bacterial Contamination Bacterial contamination of organic food, especially fresh


produce, has made news headlines during the past few years. Attention has been focused on bacterial pathogens that are spread via manures, including Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Because many organic farmers rely on animal manures for soil fertility, the safety of organic foods has been ques- tioned. Organic regulations address this issue: Use of manure, especially raw (not composted) manure, on organic fields is restricted by law. These regulations are more restrictive than those that apply to conventional farms. However, there are still cases of contamination in organic produce. Animal bacterial contamination even in organic meats


and poultry is also an issue: According to Consumer Reports, 2007, "Chickens labeled as organic or raised without antibiot- ics and costing $3 to $5 per pound were more likely to harbor salmonella than were conventionally produced broilers that cost more like $1 per pound. Moreover, most of the bacterial we tested from all types of chicken showed resistance to one or more antibiotics, including some fed to chickens to speed their growth and those prescribed to humans to treat infec- tions." Pathobiology researchers in Kansas, who recently com-


posed the paper “Niche Marketing Production Practices for Beef Cattle in the United States and Prevalence of Foodborne Pathogens" wrote that, “Studies directly comparing conven- tional and niche-market production systems for dairy, swine, poultry, and produce have observed that the prevalence of foodborne pathogens was seldom statistically different be- tween production systems, but when differences were ob-


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