First, let me preface this subject by a statement that all medical professionals and researchers can agree upon: ANY fruit and vegetable is better than none, regardless of whether it is organic. The vitamins and minerals in fresh, frozen, dried, or canned produce are essential to human life. Protein in plant-based foods, meats, poultry and fish is the building block of our genetic and physiological make up. But are organic foods a better choice? The easy answer is yes, especially for infants and young children.
While most all produce and grain contain pesticide residues due to pesticide drift and background contamination, organic foods have less in comparison to conventional foods. Older pesticides such as DDT, now banned, have been linked with prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Modern farmers use pesticides that are quickly metabolized in the body, however their impact on an infant’s developing brain and organs is unknown. Current scientific research is underway to examine babies’ exposure to chemical pesticides and their susceptibility to disorders such as autism, attention deficit disorder, asthma and cancer.
Research also indicates organic produce contains higher levels of vitamin C and other antioxidants in comparison to conventional foods. Similarly, cattle and chickens raised on pasture grasses rather than grain meal display higher levels of vitamins A, D, B’s, and healthy fatty acids versus saturated fat. Factory- farmed poultry are commonly fed antibiotics to prevent disease from spreading among the population. This practice breeds antibiotic resistant bacteria, causing further challenges to treating infection from these mutant bugs. Despite dosing chickens with antibiotics, 70% of poultry still made it to market shelves infected with salmonella or campylobacteria according to Consumers Union.
As the majority of our workforce moved from farm to city, mass food production and global shipping ensued, complicating our “organic is best” tag line. Pesticide production and food transport require oil. That organic peach from Chile not only requires an enormous amount of fossil fuel to ship to our hometown grocery, it also may not be held to the same inspection standards as our organic foods grown in the U.S. As consumer demand for organic continues to increase (good job everyone!), the FDA is scrambling to certify the growing number of organic imports.
Some small local farms simply do not have the funds to pass organic certification though they may grow their crops without pesticides. If you know and trust your local farmers, their fresh produce may be a better choice over international organic imports. In fact, if each American citizen prepared one meal a week from locally and organically grown foods, we would be able to decrease U.S. oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels of oil per week. Safeguard your family’s health and the environment by selecting organic foods preferably from local farms. For more on industrial farming’s impact on human health, visit www.sustainabletable.org.
By Christina on 08/30/07 in Bistro Baby, Columns, Cooking For Kids, Food, Healthy Cooking
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December 21st, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I agree. I also like that you pointed out that local food can be healthy too even if there is no organic label.
I worked in the food industry. From whipped topping to pasta. I even oversaw the inspections of FDA, USDA and Organic production lines.
I called the manufactures of different baby food manufactures. Because I live in a small city we don’t get every brand here. But I found a company that reviewed their procedures with me. I was very impressed with the “Baby’s Only” Formula and electrolyte supplement. The soy formula uses a mechanic press for processing instead of the standard Chemical press. I love that.
I also through what ever veggies or beans (seasoned with onions or garlic often) I am making for dinner in the blender with filtered water. Then place the food in front of my 8 mo old (who is pulled right up to the table with me) and eat. (I help her of course).
This is what my mom did with all three of us. And we love, love homemade food of any kind.
I spoke with Organic Baby also. They said that non of their organic food is from China. Their bananas and one other fruit (papaya?) were sourced from Cost Rico and Mexico. And the food was made in the U.S.
My baby is 8.5 mo. 29in tall, 23lbs. Started walking this month and has yet to get sick even with going to the cafe everyday. She loves it there.
I am not an expert but something is working. Both my husband & I were cold prone and ear infection kids. We didn’t want our baby to grow up the same way. We are also not tall, even though baby is as tall as the average 13 mo old. Something is working. I think it is in the food.