Organic, GMO, Local & Gluten-Free - Is It Important?
Grocery shopping can be confusing because we have so many options available from grocery stores to the food itself. To make it a little more complicated, there seems to be a new certification seal coming out every day - which then seems to determine if a product is the best, healthy, etc. There are so many certifications seals on products that it can be hard to keep up with, understand, & make an informed decision in the aisle. It can even make us question if we’re making a good choice or supporting good agriculture practices. I'm here to help! I’m going to give you a rundown on some common certifications to make you feel more confident in your selections & make grocery shopping less complicated.
1. USDA Certified Organic
Certified organic means that the product/ingredients are grown and processed in alignment with regulations regarding soil, animal welfare, pest control, and weed control. Organic certified farms use natural rather than synthetic products (fertilizers and pesticides). These products are not genetically modified (see no. 5). The organic certification allows for the use of fertilizers and pesticides; however, the products allowed to be used on the farm have to uphold a certain standard regarding the effects on health and the environment to ensure the overall product is as safe as possible. Certified organic farms are strictly regulated on all pieces of their operation from the seeds they use to their water system to record-keeping. As for animals, the organic certification requires that animals are able to maintain their natural behaviors (diet and space as they would in the wild) and are not given antibiotics or hormones. All of those specifics & the certification seal itself are very costly to the farmer. That’s why the price of organic product is much higher.
Not all farmers who abide by organic regulations can afford to buy the USDA organic seal. These farmers are producing the same product at possibly at a lower price than products with that little sticker. This means that you as the consumer are paying a little extra for the organic agriculture practices - which do benefit health and the environment overall- but aren’t paying for the organic seal and the USDA is not regulaing the farm. The only way to find these farms is to talk to the farmer! You can ask the farmer about his/her practices at the farmer’s market and most will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Whether you need to buy organic or not is totally dependednt on your prefernece. Non-organic foods are not less healthy than organic. Organic foods still allow the use of chemicals - just not all of them. Organic farming is very expensive to the farmer and not every farm with sustaibable agriculture practices can afford it. So there are reasons to buy organic & non-organic. You should never omit a food from your diet because it's recommended to buy it organic; however, you cannot afford the organic option. If you do want to buy organic, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) gives you a great place to start - not everything you eat needs to be organic. Below you'll see the 12 foods they recommended you buy organic due to the likilihood of them being grown using heavy pesticides and the top 15 foods you don't really have to worry about buying organic.
12 Top Foods EWG Recommends Buying Organic:
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes
Hot Peppers
15 Top Foods EWG Says We Don't Need to Worry about Buying Organic:
Avocado
Corn
Pineapple
Onions
Papaya
Frozen sweet peas
Eggplant
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Cantaloupe
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Cabbage
Honeydew
Kiwi
2. “Made with organic”
At lest 70% of the product is made with organic ingredients (based on the practices above). These products do not have the “USDA Organic” sticker.
3. Local
Local foods are foods grown on farms near you. Local is defined by location; however, a specific distance from you to the farm has not been established. So, local can mean 2 miles up the road or 2 states over depending on where you are and the food system. Overall, it’s great to purchase local products because they’ll be fresher, they will support smaller communities, and they travel less distance so they will have a lower carbon footprint. Most communities label foods as local but everyone has a different sticker. For example, this is a sticker that can be found in Western NC.
4. Certified Gluten-Free
Gluten is a naturally-occurring protein found in wheat, rye and barley that helps foods hold their shape and stick together. People with celiac disease are unable to process gluten and therefore omit gluten containing products from their diets. Some may also have gluten intolerances but not celiac disease and may benefit from consuming less gluten. People with celiac disease also have to look out for gluten-containing products such as lotions and shampoos. If you do not have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, you do not need to omit gluten from your diet. Restricting gluten is not going to make you healthier or skinnier. The gluten-free certification indicates that a third party is overseeing the manufacturing of the product to ensure the product is gluten-free and is not cross contaminated. Gluten-free products should be gluten-free themselves but also should be processed in a facility that does not process gluten-containing products so there is not cross-contamination of gluten on the equipment.
5. Non-GMO Project
GMOs are genetically modified organisms. This can be a plant or animal and means that the genetic material of the organism has been modified in a lab to create new combinations of the organism. The GMO is not naturally found- it is man-made. You can kind of think of it like man-made evolution or survival of the fittest. The non-GMO certification indicates that the product you’re buying is not genetically modified. This certification exists to protect non-GMO foods aka “naturally occurring” foods. It can be beneficial in protecting our farmers’ livelihood and preventing corporations/science from dominating the food chain, but the research on if it’s better for your health to buy non-GMO isn’t there. Genetically modifying foods means that they’re not in their most “natural” form; however, it also means that we have more diversity in food options, crops have a higher rate of survival (they can be genetically modified to resist whatever is killing out/harming the plant/animal), and we can produce enough food for everyone (the world has a lot of people, people need a lot of food, and small farms can’t keep up with that demand alone). So it’s neither good or bad to buy non-GMO project certified foods. I however, as a dietitian, do not specifically seek out one over the other.
The biggest take away from this blog is to understand that food certification seals are not so much important for health but are indicative of agriculture practices. The choices we make do impact our health, but overall I would prefer someone to still eat apples rather than not just because the organic option isn't available. If we are in the position to buy foods that support local, small food systems- fantastic! Do that! But more than anything, I recommend starting with supporting your community by buying local foods and getting to know your local food system.
Resources
1. McEnvoy, M. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Organic 101: what the USDA Organic Label Means. Mar 13, 2019. https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means
2. Non-GMO Project. What is GMO? https://www.nongmoproject.org