Top Questions People Ask About Organic Food

Organic food seems to be everywhere right now. Sometimes, I even put it in my shopping cart without knowing it! It seems like every man, and his dog is eating organic food and claiming to reap huge benefits from eating it.

I often walk through the grocery store near me and wonder if eating organic is really better for you. Why do so many people eat organic? Does it taste better? How can you trust the organic certification?

If you have asked yourself similar questions about organic food, you’re reading the right article! After doing some research, I found loads of information about organic food, and so I decided to put together a Q&A to help others who might be asking the same questions I was. Let’s get started!

What Does Organic Food Mean?

The first thing we need to establish before anything else is what organic food actually is. Organic food is a term used to refer to foods grown using organic farming methods. This means food is produced without the use of synthetic chemicals and is never genetically modified. Foods such as dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables will also be produced without the use of antibiotics or growth hormones.

Organic farmers work hard to cut out the use of herbicides and pesticides on their crops and instead find sustainable and chemical-free methods to take care of their fields.

Organic farming methods do not always guarantee completely chemical-free produce, but the amount of chemicals found in organic food is significantly lower than those found in conventionally farmed produce.

Is Organic Food Safer To Eat?

This question seemed like an excellent follow-up to the previous one. If organic farming does not use chemical fertilisers or nasty pesticides, then it makes sense that the food produced using these methods will be safer to eat. According to research on Organic Versus Conventional Food Consumption released by the NSW National Library Of Medicine, "Organic foods have been shown to have lower levels of toxic metabolites [and] may also reduce exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria."

So, in short, yes, organic food can be safer for your body!

Is Organic Food Better For You?

So we know that organic food can be less harmful to eat because it contains fewer chemicals, but can it actually benefit us as well? Not all research on organic food is conclusive. However, studies on the antioxidant content of food have consistently shown that levels of this component are significantly higher in organic produce versus conventional food. This is great news for your body as anti-oxidants play a vital role in protecting your body from disease and other health issues.

As mentioned previously, organic food is grown without using chemicals and harsh pesticides, so your food will be healthier without residue from these harmful substances. And if that wasn’t good enough, because organic food is fresh and produced without using chemicals, many people even say that it tastes better!

Why Is Organic Food More Expensive?

It’s true. Organic food is usually pricier than the conventional version. This is for a variety of reasons, including the demand for supply and the more significant effort and labour that goes into producing organic foods. Organic farmers must adhere to a strict production standard set out by the government, which can be costly, but it does mean that the finished product you buy is of much higher quality and value.

What Food Is Best To Eat Organic?

Due to the expense associated with eating organic, many might feel like their budget just doesn’t allow it. However, there are some ways to eat healthier without breaking the bank! A list called the ‘Dirty Dozen’ shows which fruits and vegetables usually contain the highest amount of chemicals and pesticides when they are produced using conventional methods. These are:

Potatoes, Strawberries, Celery, Spinach, Tomatoes, Kale, Pears, Nectarines, Cherries, Apples, Peaches and Grapes.

This list in Australia is slightly different, with items such as lettuce, apricots, carrots, plums and green beans among the most-sprayed produce. If you want to eat more organic food without spending too much, you could start by buying the organic version of the above-listed items. This will help you eat healthier on a budget!

Is It Better To Buy Organic Or Buy Local?

Many wonder if buying organic food is really as sustainable as it sounds when some organic produce travels great distances to reach your local supermarket. Isn’t it better to buy local instead?

Well, something that surprised me during my research was that transport actually contributes very little to emissions compared to the effect of food production! Transport accounts for 10% of emissions, while food production contributes a staggering 86% to these harmful emissions! So it seems that even if organic food has to travel across the country to get to the grocery store near me, it’s still better for the planet than the food that has been grown using conventional farming methods.

Of course, an even better solution is finding a supermarket near me that stocks locally-grown organic produce, which would help the environment even more!

How Do You Know If Food Is Organic?

The number one way to recognise true organic food is by labelling that says Organic and, more importantly, the Organic Certification logo! If a product has organic certification, you can be sure it has met strict production standards and followed the correct organic farming procedures necessary to call itself ‘organic’. So if a product doesn’t have organic on the packaging or doesn't have an organic certification, it probably isn’t!

How Do I Find A Good Organic Supermarket Near Me?

If you want to make extra sure the product you are buying is certified organic, you can buy from well-known and trustworthy organic supermarkets.

If you are looking for a good grocery store, you could try asking friends who eat organic where they buy their food from. You can also simply type in ‘supermarket near me

• to your search engine, and you’ll be sure to find an option in your area. Don’t forget to check out the reviews on any organic store as well to see which one is the best choice!

And, as mentioned before, if you can find a grocery store near you that stocks local organic produce, that is an added bonus!

Well, that’s about the extent of my research for now. I hope you found the answers to these questions as helpful and insightful as I did, and maybe you learnt something new about organic food today! And if I find out more exciting information about organic food, maybe I’ll write a part two….

A jack of all trades, but master of none, but often better than a master of one. I enjoy writing articles, Diy projects, and cooking. So come take a look at one of my articles and leave a comment.