Organic versus non-organic food
Should you feed organic?
When deciding what to feed a baby progressing onto solids, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the mass of information and conflicting messages about organic food, most of which question whether it’s actually worth it. Sarah Vanstone examines the case for organic.
I grew up in the Eighties in a house with a large garden. My mother, having been raised on a farm, had green fingers. She had flowers in the front garden and a sort of kitchen garden in the back, plus we kept chickens. In the summer our plot produced so much fruit, vegetables and eggs that the only things we bought were meat, exotic fruit like bananas and mangoes, and cereals and dairy. It wasn’t all organic, though. A favourite childhood meal was highly processed fish fingers which, with their day-glow orange coating, were, I’m sure, packed with E numbers. But I feel we were lucky to be able to grow our own. I’ve no doubt our produce was tastier and more nutritious than what was available in the supermarkets. I remember our carrots in particular; they were small, red and tasty, compared to the huge, orange hard-as-nails ones in the shops that tasted of nothing.
The case for organic
Enough of the reminiscing. With today’s economic climate and most of us living in towns with limited space for growing vegetables, what are the realistic options when choosing your baby’s first foods?
Despite the extra cost involved, buying organic could be worth it in the long run. Here are some reasons why:
• Babies’ bodies are much more vulnerable to pesticides because their digestive system and kidneys are immature and so not as proficient at excreting harmful substances.
• Greenpeace estimates that your body may contain up to 200 synthetic chemicals. Any effect these have will be more for a baby.
• Pound for pound, pre-school infants eat on average two-to-four times more vegetables and fruits than adults and so are exposed to a higher proportion of possible contaminants.
• The health effects of chronic low level exposure to pesticide residues are still unknown.
• A report, ‘Pesticides in Children's Food’, by the Environmental Working Group, concluded that the largest contribution to a person's lifetime risk of cancer from pesticide residues occurs during childhood.
• Existing regulations on the amount of pesticide residues that non-organic baby foods may contain are based on 'acceptable' levels for adult consumption.
• No one yet knows what effect genetically modified engineering may have on food products and the health of those who consume them. Baby food that is organic is produced without genetically modified ingredients.
• In a recent UK poll, more than 70 per cent of consumers reported that organic fruit, vegetables and meat taste better.
Is organic food really more nutritious?
It’s tempting to think it’s a no brainer to buy organic food. But is there any evidence to suggest that organic food is more nutritious than non-organic food? Well, actually, yes. In November 2007, an EU funded project called the Quality Low Input Food (QLIF) found the following:
• Organic milk also has higher levels of vitamin E.
• Organic cheese can have up to twice as many nutrients as non-organic.
• Organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce have between 20 and 40 per cent more nutrients.
Expense
But what about the added cost of organic food? The good news is that, while not competitive with non-organic prices at the moment, prices are definitely going down. The growing concern about the quality of the food we feed our children means that more organic food for babies is being sold than ever before, which makes it cheaper than ever before. Sales of organic produce now account for half of the entire baby food market.
Why does organic cost more?
Organic baby foods are produced without conventional pesticides, antibiotics or growth hormones. They are not mass-produced, and traditional organic farming methods often produce lower yields than modern intensive farming.
I took a quick reccy around a well-known supermarket chain to compare prices. Standard potatoes were 42p per kg, organic potatoes 72p per kg; cheddar cheese was £5.49 per kg, organic cheddar cheese £7.47; baked beans were 54p a tin, organic baked beans 72p a tin. However, it’s worth noting that choosing loose fruit and vegetables over bagged ones (organic or not) is always better value.
What has the most pesticides?
When buying fresh fruit and vegetables for your infant, it may be worth knowing which ones hold more pesticides on average than others. In 2007 a study by the Environmental Working Group revealed the levels of pesticides in 43 different kinds of fruit and vegetables, based on 43,000 tests.
Those with the most pesticides included:
Peaches
Apples
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Lettuce
Grapes
Pears
Sweet bell peppers
Those with the least pesticides included:
Broccoli
Cabbage
Asparagus
Sweet peas
Sweetcorn
Onions
Avocado
Bananas
Kiwi
Sweet peas
Pineapples
Any fresh fruit or vegetables need to be washed and peeled before serving. Organic food may have earth and bugs on which need to be washed off, and non-organic food has residue pesticides on the surface and in the skin. While you won’t get rid of all the pesticides in the fruit or vegetable, you can eliminate a lot of them in this way.
Growing your own
If you are lucky enough to have a garden in which to grow your own vegetables, or even just a window box, it’s a great activity for your toddler to get involved in. They will grow up learning about healthy eating and where food comes from.
Even if you just grow cress in a saucer with some cotton wool and water, your toddler will be fascinated to see what he has planted develop. Wheen I was little, we used to have a terracotta hedgehog that had a flat surface on its back. We would put some water-sodden kitchen towel on his back and sprinkle on cress seeds, which then grew to become his prickles. I loved that hedgehog!
Don't miss our interview with Susie Willis, founder of organic baby food company Plum Baby.
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Last Modified: 09/07/2008