Organic or Natural?

Whenever I peruse the grocery store for food, I am often dumbfounded by the robust use of vague terminology by the food industry.  Often conflicted to buy natural or organic food, I have alas done my research to see 1) what is the difference and 2) why should I care.

The Difference

• Natural foods is assumed to imply foods that are minimally processed and do not contain manufactured ingredients.
• Organic food is certified to not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Organic foods are also not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.  

Here is a basic breakdown of what those terms mean.

Artificial Flavors

• What are they?
• Flavorings are chemical formulations that mimic the flavors and smells of foods
• What are some examples?
• fruit flavored drinks, teas and yogurts
• What are the health risks?
• Controversial - A number of studies have shown a relationship between artificial coloring and hyperactivity. On the other hand, some studies do not show any effect of coloring on children's behavior. (National Institute of Health)
• Fun Fact
• Castoreum (which is extracted from the anal glands of a beaver) is used to make artificial raspberry flavoring.  Yummy!

Artificial Colors

• What are they?
• Colors additives are any dye, pigment or substance that imparts color when it is added to food or drink
• What are some examples?
• macaroni & cheese, baking mixes, and pickles
• What are the health risks?
• Controversial - For more than 30 years, scientists have examined the relationship between food coloring and hyperactive behavior in children, but with mixed results. (WebMD)
• Fun Fact
• Artificial food coloring is derived from coal tar and petroleum.  Lunch at the La Brea Tar Pits?

Artificial Preservatives

• What are they?
• Preservatives generally fall into one of three categories: those used to prevent bacterial or fungal growth, those that prevent oxidation (which can lead to discoloration or rancidity), and those that inhibit natural ripening of fruits and vegetables
• What are some examples?
• bread, fruit and vegetables
• What are the health risks?
• Controversial - Artificial food preservatives, by and large, are generally recognized as safe.  However, some researchers believe some preservatives, such as nitrates, are linked to asthma, nausea, vomiting, and headaches.  
• Fun Fact
• Embalming chemicals are a variety of preservatives used to preserve cadavers.  No wonder Egyptian mummies look so good!

Artificial Fertilizers

• What are they?
• Synthetic fertilizers are man-made combinations of chemicals and inorganic substances that supply essential nutrients to soil
• What are some examples?
• Miracle Grow
• What are the health risks?
• Beneficial: Synthetic fertilizers are easy to use and their effects are almost immediate
• Harmful: Synthetic fertilizers have several long-term negative effects (LiveStrong)
• Human Carcinogens: Designed to kill or prevent weeds, several of the ingredients in synthetic fertilizers are known to cause cancer
• Water Pollution: High amounts of nitrogen often find their way into waterways resulting in loss of oxygen in the water
• Toxic Waste: Synthetic fertilizers contain toxic heavy metals (such as silver, nickel and selenium) and pose human health hazards
• Fun Fact
• Have you ever stuck a white carnation flower in dye and watch it turn color? This same process happens with chemicals from fertilizers – it becomes forever part of the plant…no matter how many times you wash it off! 

Artificial Pesticides

• What are they?
• A synthetic pesticide is a poisonous chemical or mixture of chemicals that is intended to prevent, repel, or kill any pest
• What are some examples?
• Off! Insecticide Spray, Raid Max
• What are the health risks?
• Beneficial: Synthetic pesticides protect crops from pest invasions
• Harmful: Pesticides have been known to cause lymphoma, leukemia, breast cancer, asthma, and other immune system disorders. (University of California, San Diego)
• Fun Fact
• There are over 160 synthetic pesticides in the United States that are listed to be possible carcinogens.  And you thought pesticides were only for insects…

Irradiation

• What is it?
• Food irradiation is a technology for controlling spoilage and eliminating food-borne pathogens, such as salmonella.
• What are some examples?
• tropical fruit, spices
• What are the health risks?
• Beneficial (Iowa State University Food Safety Research Project)
• Preservation: Irradiation can be used to destroy or inactivate organisms that cause spoilage and decomposition, thereby extending the shelf life of foods.
• Sterilization: Foods that are sterilized by irradiation can be stored for years without refrigeration just like canned foods
• Control food-born illness: Irradiation can be used to effectively eliminate those pathogens that cause food-born illness, such as Salmonella.
• Harmful (Food and Water Watch)
• Expensive: Irradiating the U.S. food supply would be extraordinarily expensive.
• Ineffective: Irradiation does not kill all the bacteria in food and may undermine other food safety efforts by masking filthy conditions and encouraging improper handling.
• Impractical: Irradiation damages many foods and can ruin their flavor, odor, and texture. The process destroys vitamins, protein, essential fatty acids and other nutrients.
• Dangerous: Scientists have observed serious health problems in lab animals fed irradiated foods. Those include premature death, cancer, tumors, stillbirths, mutations, organ damage, immune system failure and stunted growth.
• Fun Fact
• The irradiation controversy is similar to radiation therapy received by cancer patients: some believe it is beneficial, whereas others believe it is harmful.  The question is, does your food have cancer?

Genetically Engineered Ingredients

• What is it?
• Genetic engineering creates plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy.
• What are some examples?
• wheat, corn
• What are the health risks?
• Beneficial 
• Pest resistance: Growing GM foods can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market
• Disease resistance: Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to plant diseases
• Drought tolerance: Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places
• Nutrition: Malnutrition is common in developing countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. Genetically modified rice can allow for rice to be fortified with nutrients
• Harmful
• Environmental hazards: There is a potential risk of harm to non-target organisms
• Reduced effectiveness of pesticides: Many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to crops that have been genetically-modified
• Gene transfer to non-target species: Crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds
• Human health risks: There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. There is also a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health.
• Economic Impacts: Large argicultural corporations, such as Monsanto, make serious profit from GMO patents, and are not subject to through testing for saftey of human consumption
• Source: ProQuest
• Fun Fact
• Though I'm a bonafide food policy advocate, I often have trouble picking a side when it comes to GMOs 

Conclusion

• Natural foods is better for the environment, but not necessarily better for humans.  Although they lack artificial coloring, artificial flavoring and preservatives, I am more concerned with the ingredients that have scientific proof to be harmful.  
• In the grand scheme of decision-making, organic foods are better than natural foods.