Planet DFW

Stop the presses! The Organic Center says organic foods are more nutritious

I'm going to pass this along to you with some caveats. Nevertheless, in the interest of giving you as much information as possible, I'm posting something on a new study conducted by The Organic Center addressing one of the most contentious issues associated with green living: Is organically-grown food more nutritious than conventionally-grown food?

The Boulder, Colo.-based Organic Center -- surprise, surprise -- claims to have answered this question with a resounding yes. The center says this is based on an analysis of 97 published studies on the issue. The analysis reveals organic plant-based foods are 25 percent more nutrient-dense than conventional foods, and include significantly higher concentrations of antioxidants. The center claims the study is the first comprehensive review of all major organic studies since 2003. Click here to read the report.

A few points should be made here. The Organic Center's study may indeed be accurate, but it should not be forgotten that they have a vested interest in promoting organics. Need proof? The center's vision, according to its Web site, is the "Conversion of agriculture to organic methods, improved health for the earth and its inhabitants, and greater awareness of and demand for organic products."

Last year, I did some research on this issue and concluded that organic foods are not more nutritious. Yes, that despite the fact that, by definition, organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products must come from animals that are given neither antibiotics nor growth hormones, and are produced without the use of most conventional pesticides and fertilizers. It's true there is a benefit to avoiding exposure to some potentially toxic chemicals. It's obviously safer. And raising pesticide-free crops means fewer chemicals get washed by the rain into waterways used for drinking water. But remember, the issue is not whether organic foods are safer, it's whether or not they're more nutritious. The Department of Agriculture, which certifies what can be labeled as organic food, says organic food is not more nutritious. So do other experts I talked to.

One final point. With certain kinds of fruits and vegetables, it doesn't make sense to pay more to eat organic if what you're worried about is avoiding pesticides and other synthetic compounds. Why? Fruits like cantaloupes, avocados, bananas and watermelons have hard shells that help to insulate the fruit inside. So do sweet potatoes and winter squash. These fruits and vegetables, even if pesticides were used, are not going to be contaminated with high levels of toxics, according to experts. On the other hand, peaches, strawberries and grapes have been found to have significant pesticide residue, so it might make sense to buy organic in these cases.

The Environmental Working Group has an online shopping guide that lets you know which fruits and vegetables have been shown to contain the highest levels of pesticides. Click here to review it.

-- Scott Streater

Down with bottled water

Folks I've said written it before, and I'm writing it now, the meteoric rise of the bottled water industry is not very good for the environment. Why? The plastic bottles -- which most likely contain filtered tap water -- are clogging up landfills. They also require a lot of energy and resources to manufacture. You might ask: Well, so, soft drink companies have been selling their product for decades in plastic bottles, so what's so big about bottled water? Because it's a new and unnecessary addition to those billions of plastic bottles in landfills. And don't think most of get recycled today, because they don't. Only a small percentage does.

Which brings me to this. I'm always cautious when I see professional advocacy groups organizing students to rally behind their cause. There's just something not right, like when credit card companies are on college campuses handing out T-shirts and caps to kids who sign up for a platinum card. But it's interesting to note that the Food & Water Watch -- a nonprofit consumer rights group that claims to challenge "the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources" -- is organizing students on several college campuses to cut existing contracts with bottled water corporations and rid their campuses of bottled water. This they call "The Take Back the Tap" campaign. They're focusing on college campuses because they say the bottled water industry targets young adults. But there's another reason: ""The next generation of water activists are on college campuses today," said Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. "College students can see through the glossy bottled water ads and are making the healthy choice for the planet and their future by taking back the tap."

The latest effort follows a report by the group last year that found Americans spent $8.8 billion for almost 7.2 billion gallons of non-sparkling bottled water. To view that report, click here.

-- Scott Streater