I think it’s great that more farmers and people are jumping on the wagon of organic foods! This has always made the most sense to me when it comes to produce and other types of food. However, as it has become more and more popular in the eyes of consumers, I feel some marketing has become a bit deceptive; and while some products are great, not all “organic” products are truly worth the extra money you will be spending.
One example worth looking at is seafood. When any sort of seafood is labeled as organic, this is somewhat meaningless, and should not hold any weight on which product you buy. Seafood does not yet have any sort of organic standards that are government approved. So really, anyone could just slap the word, “organic” on their product and hike up the price. While this may persuade some people into paying some extra cash for it, you could just save money and buy the “nonorganic” option and be getting the same thing for less.
Examples like this can be seen in some other food groups as well. Another one of these areas is processed food. Organic foods can be a better option if you are worried about added dyes in the food, but other than that, most processed foods are pretty uniform. Even some products that claim to be made with organic materials can still legally have up to 30% non organic ingredients in them. Whichever way you decide to go with it, just remember to check the ingredients and the food label rather than just going with the wording on the front of the box.
Photo by Zen Chung on Pexels.com
In the world we live in today, it’s very important to be well informed when it comes to the food we are buying and eating–that is the whole reason organic foods became so popular in the first place, right? Along with this, it is also important to be aware of what the different wording can mean on the packaging (this helps us to uncover what is actually in it). This certainly includes the food label and ingredients on the back, but there are also some words we can watch out for on the front. In order for a producer to be able to put “certified organic” on a product, they must use at least 95% organic ingredients. This is pretty straightforward, as this means there can only be 5% non organic ingredients. However, as mentioned earlier, a product with the wording “made with organic” can legally use up to 30% non organic ingredients; so it’s important to be informed before you buy.
I am not saying organic foods are never worth the extra price, or that people shouldn’t be buying them. I think there is a lot of good that comes from knowing what goes into the food you are eating. What I am saying is that it’s also important to be aware of what is a true organic product and what is only a marketing ploy to get you to buy. In my opinion, organic foods can be worth the extra money, but it’s important to stay informed on which products are worth it and which are not!
Mind & Body 