Pros & Cons: Organic Food

January 8, 2015

The organic food industry is booming because a lot of people believe that the produce is safer, environment-friendly, and more nutritive. Today, it’s more than just a health concern—going organic is trendy. Before you buy into it, weigh out the pros and cons.

Pros:

Here, the food crops are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, irradiation, artificial fertilizer or biotechnology.
Organic farming is good for the environment, as it does not use chemicals or artificial farming methods. This benefits the soil and water, reducing pollution.
Any food labeled ‘organic’ contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients, as per the USDA.
Organic processed food does not contain hydrogenated fat, which is linked to heart disease.

Cons:

Since organic produce does not use any artificial preservatives, it may get bad faster.
It is almost 50 percent more expensive than non-organic food.
Contrary to popular belief, organic food is allowed to use a limited number of chemicals. So it’s not completely chemical-free.
According to recent studies by the UK Food Standards Agency, the French Food Safety Agency and the Swedish National Food Administration, organic food is no more nutritious or safer than conventionally produced food.