Organic foods are making their way into just about every aisle in the supermarket. There are organic TV dinners, kidney beans and lemonade, even organic vodka and beer.
But organic foods typically cost about 30 to 50 percent more, pushing them out of reach for many Americans.
So what's a health-conscious person to do?
Experts suggest consumers carefully pick and choose as not all organic products are created equal. Strawberries, for example, tend to have more pesticides because they grow near the ground. Broccoli and cabbage, on the other hand, grow with a platoon of leaves surrounding them, drawing in less pesticide residue.
Meat, milk, poultry and eggs are probably good organic buys because they reduce exposure to pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics. Organic seafood may not be worth the extra money because it still could carry harmful toxins.
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit based in Washington D.C., has come up with a list of the most beneficial fruits and vegetables to buy in organic form as well as the worst:
Cleanest 12 (lowest in pesticides) Onions Avocados Corn* Peas* Pineapple Mango Asparagus Bananas Kiwi Cabbage Broccoli Eggplant Dirty Dozen (highest in pesticides) Peaches Apples Nectarines Sweet bell peppers Celery Strawberries Cherries Lettuce Grapes Pears Spinach Potato * frozen variety
Labeling
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program regulates the organic food industry, certifying how the food is grown, handled and processed and labeling it accordingly. Anyone who knowingly puts an organic label on a product that isn't organic can be fined with a civil penalty of up to $10,000.
USDA organic:The USDA organic label goes on products that are produced with at least 95 percent organic ingredients.
100 percent organic: Fruits, vegetables, honey and eggs and other single-ingredient products may contain a USDA label that certifies them as 100 percent organic.
Made with organic ingredients: These products contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients.
Naturally-produced, free-range, all natural, hormone free: These products are not grown according to USDA organic standards.
Quick Q&A
Are organic foods actually safer?
High levels of pesticides can cause harm to human health, including headaches, cancer and birth defects. But some experts say the health risk associated with the trace amounts of pesticides found on fruits and vegetables is very small.
What's the difference?
Conventional farmers use chemical weed killers and chemical fertilizers to help plants grow. They spray insecticides to stop pests and disease. They give animals antibiotics, medicines and growth hormones to stop disease and make them grow bigger.
Organic farmers rotate crops, till or hand weed their land to stop weeds. They use manure and mulch and natural fertilizers to prevent weeds and help the plants grow. Animals are given organic feed and allowed time out grazing in fields.
Times researcher Shirl Kennedy contributed to this report. Leonora LaPeter Anton can be reached at lapeter@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8640.
Sources: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Center for the Advancement of Health; Environmental Working Group; Organic Trade Association.
Organic food sales
In 1997, organic food sales represented less than 1 percent of the total food sales in the United States. In 2006, that estimate had grown to almost 3 percent. Overall, industry experts predict organic food use will grow 18 percent a year.
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