ORGANIC FOODS101

Dietetic Interns: Ashley & Olivia

Trivia Game

Which number do organic produce stickers always start

with?a. 4

b. 9

c. 8

d. 6

Organic produce stickers always begin with the number 9!

Organic produce is grown without the use of any pesticides.

A. True

B. False

Organic farmers still use pesticides. However, they must be derived from natural sources, not synthetically manufactured.

Which of these is a not a real fruit?

A. Lemato

B. Pluot

C. Strapple

D. Tangelo

Strapple! (we made this one up!)

Were you aware that the others are GMOs?

The first GMO crop to reach our table was:

A. Tomato

B. Apple

C. Corn

D. Onion

The “Flavr Savr” tomato was grown in California in 1994. They were modified to last longer, so they could tolerate longer periods of

transportation.

Local and sustainable essentially mean the same thing.

a. True

b. False

False! Local refers to the maximum distance a food can travel and sustainable refers to farming techniques

Organic foods are nutritionally superior to conventional foods.

A. True

B. False

False! There are no conclusive studies that prove organic foods are nutritionally superior to their conventional equals.

Organic

“Food grown and processed without using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.”

• Still use pesticides• Organic pesticides derived from natural sources.

Regulated and governed under the “National Organics Program” (NOP), which is enforced and overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

• Farms must be certified to market their foods as organic.• Prohibits use of genetic engineering.

Organic

Pros• reduced intake of synthetic pesticides/fertilizers, • move away from monocultures/increased biodiversity

• Better for soil and environment

Cons• higher cost • Produces less food per acre than conventional• higher levels of potential pathogens• May find more bugs in produce

Organic Terms

“Dirty Dozen”

What is the dirty dozen?

• These foods have the highest level of synthetic pesticides

• Buy organic when you can

“Clean Fifteen”

What are the “clean fifteen”?

• These foods have the lowest level of synthetic pesticides

• No need to buy organic

Conventional

• The opposite of organic

• Grown using synthetic pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and/or herbicides

• Typically focuses on producing large quantities at the lowest possible cost• Yield for out-of-season foods

Conventional – Pros vs. Cons

• Pros:• Generally cheaper than organic foods• Produces a higher yield for farmers• Able to grow “out of season” foods

• Cons• Pesticide ingestion may be linked to cancers• Usually uses same crop over and over again; leads to depletion of

nutrients in soil, need for more fertilizers (usually synthetic)• Pests may develop immunity to pesticides.

Local & Sustainable (food systems)

Are local and sustainable practices the same?

Refers more to environment than nutrition

Sustainable: the production of food, fiber, or other plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare.  This form of agriculture enables us to produce healthful food without compromising future generations' ability to do the same.

Local: the total distance a product can be transported and still considered local is less than 400 miles from its origin, OR within the state in which it was produced. (Economic Research Service of USDA)

• Nutrients may be higher, since produce may be fresher.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

An organism whose genetic material has been altered to create traits that otherwise could not be possible. Involves taking a gene out of one species and putting it into another.

Examples• lemato; gene from a lemon gets put into a tomato

to change the aroma.• Sweet potatoes resistant to virus• “Super carrots” high in calcium• Nuts that lack proteins that cause allergic reactions

California Legislation• Senate bill 1381 (rejected by senate in 2014)• Proposition 37; (rejected by voters in 2012)

• Would require labels on genetically engineered foods

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

Pros• Longer shelf life• Resistant to pests/viruses/bacteria (reduced pesticide use)• Better taste• Higher nutrient content• Greater yields

Cons• May cause new allergic reactions• Environmental concerns• Ethical issues

What are the top 10 genetically modified food products?

10. Sugar Beets

9. Potatoes

10. Corn

11. Tomatoes

12. Squash

13. Golden Rice

14. Soybeans

15. Oils (cottonseed, canola, rapeseed)

16. Animal Feed

17. Salmon

Organic vs. Conventional Foods

Which one has more calories per serving?

Organic vs. Conventionalis there a difference?

VS.

8oz Crystal Farms Low-fat Milk

8oz Straus’s Organic Low-fat Milk

Organic vs. Conventionalis there a difference?

VS.

1 tsp Hain’s Organic Sugar

1 tsp C&H Sugar

Organic vs. Conventionalis there a difference?

VS.

½ cup Straus’s Organic Vanilla Ice Cream

½ cup Dreyer’s Vanilla Ice Cream

Nutritional Differences

Nutritional content in organic food vs. conventional food

•No conclusive research that states organic foods being nutritionally superior to conventional

Organic ≠ healthy•Packaged foods

Produce Stickers

Price Look Up (PLU) Codes

• Used on items that are sold lose or bunched

• International system• Optional

Conventional: four digit code. (4139)

Organic: five digit code that starts with a 9. (94139)

GMO: five digit code, that starts with an 8. (84139)

What does this code mean?

94011

4409

84805

3278

Message

It’s important to eat enough fruits and vegetables whether they are organic or not.

Next Class…

Grocery Shopping!

References

• http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2012/09/little-evidence-of-health-benefits-from-organic-foods-study-finds.html

• http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err-economic-research-report/err97.aspx#.VAZDaMVdV1Y

• http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/agnic/susag.shtml

• http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/

• http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/organics.htm

Other terms you may have heard…

“Healthy” – no set definition. The food must be low in fat and saturated fat, limited in sodium and cholesterol, provide at least 10% of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein OR fiber.

“Fresh” – food is raw and has not been frozen or exposed to heat.

“Natural” – no definition, may not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances.