While there are a lot of positive characteristics to a healthy, organic diet, it is definitely more costly. The wide range of prices from organic to pesticide-laden produce to the chemical experiments called processed foods, stem from a handful of issues. Because organic farmers don't use pesticides, they need to use significantly more natural fertilizers as well as a lot more hands-on work and logistics planning, like crop rotation. The cost to certify a farm or food manufacturer is also substantial.
All of these reasons carry merit, but I find the most disturbing is the indirect tax that is placed on organic food producers by having to go through inspections and certifications in order to carry the USDA organic label. A company bringing a new chemical formulation to the food supply does not have any such approval process. This penalizes healthy food producers and consumers. The FDA's certification process is so porous that a company can approve its own food additive by labeling it "generally recognized as safe" or GRAS, basing it off of its own private research.
Herein lies the problem. A company can use public or private research to determine the safety of a chemical and whether or not it qualifies as GRAS. If it does pass, the FDA doesn't even have to be notified. It's a voluntary program. So basically the company who will profit from the sale of the chemical or food item is the one who stamps it as safe and they don't even have to report it. As you can see, it is very cheap and easy to bring new additives to market. Unfortunately, this has led to the rise in use of artificial sweeteners, flavors, and dyes as well as untested preservatives and other chemicals.
In contrast, the organic farmer or food preparer is required to go through a certification process by third parties authorized by the government's oversight bodies. This is at the cost of the producer. It is up to the petitioner to prove its products are organic, which is perfectly understandable. My concern lies with the drastically different approval processes. Why should organic farmers be put at a disadvantage in bringing their products to market when the food additive executives do not? It is ludicrous to think that the food industry is allowed to approve its own products for use, particularly when you consider we are ingesting these products, often without our knowledge. The dangers to our health are unquantifiable yet the food manufacturers continue to get paid.
Many people believe legislative action should be the strategy. While that is a possibility, we are in this mess because the government's ineptitude and susceptibility to outside influence (think lots of money and consulting jobs from the food industry). I believe the highest probability of success lies with making better food choices.
The best option we have to rectify this situation is to eat healthier, which will give organic farms the ability to leverage their fixed costs and expand their operations. This will lower overall costs and reduce retail prices. If we purchase less refined and processed foods, the opposite will happen. Profitability will decline for these products. For most companies, this is the only message they will understand. The power is in our hands to force change. We just need to utilize it.
All of these reasons carry merit, but I find the most disturbing is the indirect tax that is placed on organic food producers by having to go through inspections and certifications in order to carry the USDA organic label. A company bringing a new chemical formulation to the food supply does not have any such approval process. This penalizes healthy food producers and consumers. The FDA's certification process is so porous that a company can approve its own food additive by labeling it "generally recognized as safe" or GRAS, basing it off of its own private research.
Herein lies the problem. A company can use public or private research to determine the safety of a chemical and whether or not it qualifies as GRAS. If it does pass, the FDA doesn't even have to be notified. It's a voluntary program. So basically the company who will profit from the sale of the chemical or food item is the one who stamps it as safe and they don't even have to report it. As you can see, it is very cheap and easy to bring new additives to market. Unfortunately, this has led to the rise in use of artificial sweeteners, flavors, and dyes as well as untested preservatives and other chemicals.
In contrast, the organic farmer or food preparer is required to go through a certification process by third parties authorized by the government's oversight bodies. This is at the cost of the producer. It is up to the petitioner to prove its products are organic, which is perfectly understandable. My concern lies with the drastically different approval processes. Why should organic farmers be put at a disadvantage in bringing their products to market when the food additive executives do not? It is ludicrous to think that the food industry is allowed to approve its own products for use, particularly when you consider we are ingesting these products, often without our knowledge. The dangers to our health are unquantifiable yet the food manufacturers continue to get paid.
Many people believe legislative action should be the strategy. While that is a possibility, we are in this mess because the government's ineptitude and susceptibility to outside influence (think lots of money and consulting jobs from the food industry). I believe the highest probability of success lies with making better food choices.
The best option we have to rectify this situation is to eat healthier, which will give organic farms the ability to leverage their fixed costs and expand their operations. This will lower overall costs and reduce retail prices. If we purchase less refined and processed foods, the opposite will happen. Profitability will decline for these products. For most companies, this is the only message they will understand. The power is in our hands to force change. We just need to utilize it.
About the Author:
Please see more information at my website Dangers of food additives and preservatives or this article FDA food label guidelines
