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Are Organic Foods Better for You?
(HealthScoutNews) -- Are
you wondering whether you should include organic foods in your
grocery cart?
University of Michigan Health System
registered dietician Terrie A. Holewinski offers some information
about organic foods.
"The truth is there is no
scientific evidence to prove that organic foods are safer or more
nutritious than conventionally grown foods. They both must meet
the same safety and quality standards based on government guidelines
and standards," Holewinski says in a news release.
Organic farming is one of the fastest-growing
segments of agriculture in the United States, according to the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Annual retail sales of
organic foods are estimated at more than $7.8 billion, with
almost half bought at conventional grocery stores.
Organic foods shouldn't be confused
with foods labeled as natural, which are foods that are minimally
processed or have few preservatives.
Typically, organic foods are grown,
handled and processed using renewable resources and soil and water
conservation methods.
The USDA and National Organic Standards
Board have set a national standard for how food that is labeled
"organic" has to be produced, whether it's grown in
the United States or imported from other countries.
Those standards include restrictions
of the use of fertilizers, pesticides, synthetics, antibiotics,
growth hormones, bioengineering and radiation.
There are actually different labels
for organic foods. The label "100 percent organic" means
that 100 percent of the ingredients in the product are organic;
an "organic" label certifies that at least 95 percent
of the ingredients are organic; the label "made with organic
ingredients" means a food product has at least 70 percent
organic ingredients.
Only 100 percent organic and 95
percent organic foods will carry the new USDA organic seal.
More information
You can learn more at the USDA's
National
Organic Program.
Reference
Source 101
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