The Difference Between Organic and Conventional Foods

Confused about whether or not to buy organic? You’re not alone.

We all want to buy the food that is best for us, but is organic food actually better for us? Let’s start by taking a look at what the term “organic” means and how this impacts us.

What does organic mean?

• Organic animal products, such as meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, comes from animals that have not been treated with antibiotics or growth hormones.
• Organic produce and packaged food (such as cereal or tomato sauce) is grown and produced without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), or ionizing radiation. Organic foods are also generally free of fortifying agents such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors, and MSG.

Pros and cons of eating organic over conventional:

Pros:

• Organic farming is usually healthier for farm workers.
• Farmers who produce organic food, are focused on using renewable resources and conserving soil and water for future generations, this makes organic farming a better choice for the environment as well.

Cons:

• In general, organic food costs more than conventional because growing the food without pesticides or antibiotics tends to be more labor intensive or yield smaller margins.

Other points to keep in mind:

• Some small farms can’t afford to get the organic label certification but may still use mostly or all organic practices.
• The organic label does not tell you about how the animals were treated. Being aware or animal welfare—e.g., by looking for labels such as “certified humane”—is another hot topic these days but is different from organic.
• Supporting locally grown produce from small farmers is also good for the environment and may offer fresher products that are higher in nutritional value. If locally grown organic food isn’t available, look for produce grown with integrated pest management (IPM), a method that minimizes pesticide use.

Is eating organic healthier?

Ok, so it’s clear that organic is better for the environment, but is it better for me? This is a question that is still up for debate.

To get a better understanding of the complexity involved, let’s take a look at how conventional farming practices such as pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones affect food and whether the nutritional composition of organic foods is different from conventional.

PESTICIDES

In conventional farming, farmers treat their crops with synthetic pesticides to prevent disease and make them more resilient. Unfortunately, this usually means that some of the pesticide contaminants stay on the crops. Pesticides are toxic to human health, but the amount of pesticides found on foods is very small–the EPA regulates how much pesticide residue is allowed on any food. However, the more pesticides you are exposed to, the greater your risk of harm from them. Those at greatest risk are the workers who grow and handle the food. Children and unborn babies may also be more sensitive to certain pesticides. (Source)

The amount of pesticides found in fruit and veggies varies depending on the type. For example, certain produce, including peaches, nectarines, and grapes, tend to contain a lot of pesticide residue, while others, such as avocados and pineapples, contain hardly any. In general, fruits and veggies with thick shells contain less pesticide residue because it’s harder for the pesticides to permeate through the skin. To find out what produce is most contaminated refer to the dirty dozen list.

You should also look at the “clean 15” list of the least contaminated fruits and veggies.

ANTIBIOTICS

Most experts agree that minimizing the use of antibiotics in the food system is vital to our current and future health. This means it makes sense to try to limit their use in farming. However, even conventional farmers these days only use antibiotics when an animal is sick. And in the case of milk, milk from any cow treated with antibiotics is discarded. (source).

GROWTH HORMONES

Some conventional dairy cows are treated with growth hormones to stimulate milk production. While the growth hormone itself is unlikely to survive pasteurization or human digestion, the milk from hormone-treated cows contains higher levels of Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-I) than the milk from non-treated cows. IGF-I is found to some extent in all animal products, and some studies have linked it to cancer. However, other studies, along with the American Cancer Society, say the evidence is inconclusive. (source)

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION:

A recent 2017 study found some differences in the nutritional composition of organic vs. conventional. For example, there is a lack of research linking the consumption of these foods with health and disease. (source) Moreover, most of the differences were not significant enough to make a difference.

Another widely cited study by Stanford University looked at more than 200 studies and concluded there was little health benefit to eating organic food. However, another major study out of Europe, looked at over 300 studies and concluded that organic fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of antioxidants than their conventional counterparts.

Research also shows that organic milk contains more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk, while grass-fed milk contains the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. (source) However, these differences may be too small to make a difference. (source). Moreover, ounce for ounce, you get much more omega-3 from eating fatty fish such as wild salmon than you do from a glass of organic milk.

Grass-fed beef may offer some nutritional advantages over conventional, including less total fat, more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, more conjugated linoleic acid, a type of fat that’s thought to reduce heart disease and cancer risks, and more antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin E. (source) Otherwise, research does not yet show a significant nutritional difference between organic versus conventional nutritional value. Buying from a local farmer is also a good way to know what is in your food and where it’s coming from.

Bottom Line

We know that organic farming practices are better for the environment and the workers handling the food. Whether choosing organic food over conventional will affect your health significantly is still up for debate.

In the meantime, if you’re choosing what to buy organically, aim for center of the grocery store foods (that are otherwise processed). Organic produce is typically pricier than conventional, but if you’re able to and feel more comfortable eating organic, go for it; it’s better for the environment and it’s better for the workers handling and growing the food. Choosing organic will also help drive up demand, eventually bringing down costs and increasing farming standards for all foods.

If you are on a stricter food budget, choose strategically. Refer to the dirty dozen and clean 15 lists to guide your produce choices, look for dairy products made from milk that has not been treated with hormones, and choose grass-fed beef and dairy when possible.  If you have young children, consider buying organic cereals and snack foods as well.

One thing that experts do seem to agree on: when it comes to fruits and vegetables, more is better–so when faced with the choice of eating conventional produce or eating no produce, eat the produce. The benefits of adding any fruits and vegetables to our diet still outweigh the risk of not eating them. (source)

And one final point to keep in mind: Just because a packaged food is organic doesn’t mean it’s healthier. For example, organic cookies are usually just as high in sugar and fat as non-organic cookies.