While there are a lot of positive characteristics to a healthy, organic diet, it is definitely more costly. The wide range of prices from organic to pesticide-laden produce to the chemical experiments called processed foods, stem from a handful of issues. Because organic farmers don't use pesticides, they need to use significantly more natural fertilizers as well as a lot more hands-on work and logistics planning, like crop rotation. The cost to certify a farm or food manufacturer is also substantial.
What I believe to be the most unfortunate reason behind this cost differential is the fact that the government taxes organic foods through the certification process while chemical and food manufacturers do not go through any type of stringent approval process. This is a huge disadvantage for healthy food producers. New chemical and food additives easily circumvent the FDA's approval process by a process called GRAS or generally recognized as safe. The product coming to market is basically approved by its marketer, a gross injustice to healthy food producers and the unsuspecting consumers.
This is where it gets dicey. The government is easily circumvented because a food producer is able to fund private research to support its new product claim. If the additive comes up safe in the company's own checks, it is automatically ready for use in the food supply. The FDA has no oversight. The company isn't even required to make the government aware of the product's approval. It is a voluntary system. It is not difficult to understand that companies can bring dangerous chemicals to market in very little time (and no research on long-term risks) with little cost. This self-approval process has flooded the grocery store aisles with loads of untested chemicals, ranging from artificial flavors, food coloring, and sugar substitutes.
In contrast, the organic farmer or food preparer is required to go through a certification process by third parties authorized by the government's oversight bodies. This is at the cost of the producer. It is up to the petitioner to prove its products are organic, which is perfectly understandable. My concern lies with the drastically different approval processes. Why should organic farmers be put at a disadvantage in bringing their products to market when the food additive executives do not? It is ludicrous to think that the food industry is allowed to approve its own products for use, particularly when you consider we are ingesting these products, often without our knowledge. The dangers to our health are unquantifiable yet the food manufacturers continue to get paid.
Many people believe legislative action should be the strategy. While that is a possibility, we are in this mess because the government's ineptitude and susceptibility to outside influence (think lots of money and consulting jobs from the food industry). I believe the highest probability of success lies with making better food choices.
The best option we have to rectify this situation is to eat healthier, which will give organic farms the ability to leverage their fixed costs and expand their operations. This will lower overall costs and reduce retail prices. If we purchase less refined and processed foods, the opposite will happen. Profitability will decline for these products. For most companies, this is the only message they will understand. The power is in our hands to force change. We just need to utilize it.
What I believe to be the most unfortunate reason behind this cost differential is the fact that the government taxes organic foods through the certification process while chemical and food manufacturers do not go through any type of stringent approval process. This is a huge disadvantage for healthy food producers. New chemical and food additives easily circumvent the FDA's approval process by a process called GRAS or generally recognized as safe. The product coming to market is basically approved by its marketer, a gross injustice to healthy food producers and the unsuspecting consumers.
This is where it gets dicey. The government is easily circumvented because a food producer is able to fund private research to support its new product claim. If the additive comes up safe in the company's own checks, it is automatically ready for use in the food supply. The FDA has no oversight. The company isn't even required to make the government aware of the product's approval. It is a voluntary system. It is not difficult to understand that companies can bring dangerous chemicals to market in very little time (and no research on long-term risks) with little cost. This self-approval process has flooded the grocery store aisles with loads of untested chemicals, ranging from artificial flavors, food coloring, and sugar substitutes.
In contrast, the organic farmer or food preparer is required to go through a certification process by third parties authorized by the government's oversight bodies. This is at the cost of the producer. It is up to the petitioner to prove its products are organic, which is perfectly understandable. My concern lies with the drastically different approval processes. Why should organic farmers be put at a disadvantage in bringing their products to market when the food additive executives do not? It is ludicrous to think that the food industry is allowed to approve its own products for use, particularly when you consider we are ingesting these products, often without our knowledge. The dangers to our health are unquantifiable yet the food manufacturers continue to get paid.
Many people believe legislative action should be the strategy. While that is a possibility, we are in this mess because the government's ineptitude and susceptibility to outside influence (think lots of money and consulting jobs from the food industry). I believe the highest probability of success lies with making better food choices.
The best option we have to rectify this situation is to eat healthier, which will give organic farms the ability to leverage their fixed costs and expand their operations. This will lower overall costs and reduce retail prices. If we purchase less refined and processed foods, the opposite will happen. Profitability will decline for these products. For most companies, this is the only message they will understand. The power is in our hands to force change. We just need to utilize it.
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Please see more information at my website Dangers of food additives and preservatives or this article what's bad about processed foods