Organic foods have been a byword in our society for the past decade. But how many people really know what it truly means? Does it mean that you are getting foods with a higher nutritional quality or are you getting safer foods? In most cases the answer is no!

When shopping for products like eggs, meat, fish, milk, and produce can be confusing. Signs are posted everywhere labeling food as natural or organic—but what’s the difference, really? If you are a smart shopper you will certainly notice that the price for organic or natural products are higher. Knowing what specific names mean can help you decide if you should shell out extra money on a specific product. In many cases it is simply a marketing ploy.

The term natural is associated with a number of fruit and vegetable product. Typically, this is simple a marketing ploy to convince you to buy the product since all fruits and vegetables grown are natural. Unless it’s a new kind of hybrid that has been developed and processed by some other means, the product is natural.

Organic foods on the other hand are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First, you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting chemicals and are therefore consuming more healthy foods. Obviously organic products are usually more expensive. If you’re cost conscious, you can bypass organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges and bananas. In most cases once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also discarded the chemicals. You can spend a little more for organic items like apples, where you eat the peel. In any case make sure that you rinse off the food when you get home.

Another confusing label you will see is “no hormones” This is usually found on milk or meat products and is somewhat misleading, since all animals naturally produce hormones. Hormones are what help an animal regulate body organs. All meat products have hormones. The real meaning of the label is that no hormones were unnaturally given to the animal, which has been a practice to increase milk production or growth in beef. The USDA and many states today have restricted the use of certain production and growth hormones. Regardless, the level of hormones found in milk and meat is safe for human consumption.

Some marketing techniques even go so far as to put a label on eggs and meat that indicate if the animal was caged or penned. This activity makes little difference in the quality or nutritional value of the meat, but is simply a matter of animal rights. These products can be a bit more expensive, but if you want to make moral decision about the issue it is your choice. But consider the fact that all of that makes little difference to the animal now that you are contemplating having it for dinner.

Reading the label and making healthy choices can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so can help you make the best choices for you diet.

Chip Clark

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