Transcript
Why ORGANIC FOODS: A Look at Food Safety Risks
Prepared by: Sara Mahmoud
Submitted to:
Date:
OUTLINE
• Growth of organic food industry• Organic food regulations and standards• Comparisons of organic and conventional
foods:– Pesticide residues– Nutritional composition– Natural toxins– Microbiological contamination
• Summary and conclusions
ORGANIC FOOD INDUSTRY GROWING RAPIDLY
0
5
10
15
Sales ($Bil)
1997 1999 2001 2003 2005
Year
U.S. Organic Food Sales 1997-2005
Source: Whole Foods Market, 2005
Why do consumers choose organic foods?
• Perceived health and nutrition benefits– Avoidance of pesticides (70%)– Freshness (68%)– Health and nutrition (67%)– Avoidance of genetically modified foods (55%)
• Willing to pay typical 10% to 40% price premiums
ORGANIC FOODS:Not just fresh fruits and
vegetables anymore
2140
1360
1940
5369
667
1758
341
256 Dairy
Breads and Grains
Beverages
Fruits and Vegetables
Snack Foods
Packaged/PreparedFoods
Sauces/Condiments
Meat/Fish/Poultry
Organic Food Sales by Category, 2005 ($Mil)
ORGANIC REGULATIONS AND PRACTICES
• Systems based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony.
• Ecological production systems that promote and enhance biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity.
ORGANIC REGULATIONS AND PRACTICES
• Prohibited in organic production:– Synthetic pesticides– Growth hormones– Antibiotics– Genetically modified crops– Irradiation– Chemical fertilizers– Sewage sludge
ORGANIC REGULATIONS AND PRACTICES
• Synthetic materials only allowed if they are on the National List of Allowed and Approved Substances
• Typically naturally-occurring
• Some EPA-approved pesticides are allowed in organic production (i.e. sulfur, chrysanthemum extracts)
ORGANIC REGULATIONS AND PRACTICES
• Conversion from conventional to organic agriculture takes time
• Fields cannot be certified for organic production until 3 years have elapsed since last use of prohibited substances
• Animal herds - must be fed 80% organic feeds for 9 months and then 100% organic feeds for another 3 months
ORGANIC SEAL
ORGANIC SEAL USES
• Products containing only organically produced ingredients may use seal and be labeled “100% organic”
• Products containing at least 95% organically produced ingredients may use seal and be labeled “organic”
• Products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients can be labeled “made with organic ingredients” but cannot use USDA seal
WHAT ARE THE RISKS FROM PESTICIDE
RESIDUES IN FOODS?
NO ADVERSE EFFECTS ARE OBSERVED
1. Microbiological contamination
2. Nutritional imbalance
3. Environmental contaminants
4. Naturally-occurring toxins
5. Pesticide residues
6. Food additives
Food safety priorities of FDA and WHO
NUTRITION DIFFERENCES
• Very little research directly comparing nutritional value of organic vs. conventional foods
• There is some limited evidence suggesting that organic foods have higher nutrient levels than conventional foods
• Worthington (2001) analyzed results from 41 comparative studies
WORTHINGTON CONCLUSIONS
• Organic foods had higher levels of vitamin C, iron, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and beta-carotene than conventional foods
• Nitrate levels were lower in organics relative to conventional foods
1. Microbiological contamination
2. Nutritional imbalance
3. Environmental contaminants
4. Naturally-occurring toxins
5. Pesticide residues
6. Food additives
Food safety priorities of FDA and WHO
MICROBIOLOGICAL RISKS
• US Estimates - 76 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually, including 320,000 cases of hospitalization and 5,000 deaths
• Is organic food more or less safe than conventional food in terms of microbiological safety?
• More manure use in organics, but more stringent regulation of manure in organic agriculture
MICROBIOLOGICAL RISKS
• Mukherjee et al (2004)
• Compared 476 organic food samples and 129 conventional food samples for various microorganism contamination levels
MUKHERJEE FINDINGS (generic E. coli contamination)• Conventional produce - 1.6% of samples
positive• Certified organic produce - 4.3% of samples
positive• Noncertified “organic” produce - 11.4% of
samples positive• Statistically, certified organic and conventional
had no significant difference; contamination of noncertified organic produce was significantly higher than on conventional or certified organic
SUMMARY
• Organic foods have lower pesticide residue and nitrate levels than convention foods
• Polyphenolics are higher in organics in some cases
• Naturally occurring toxins may be higher in organics in some cases
• There is concern about the microbiological safety of organic produce if it is not handled properly
• TRADEOFFS!
HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE?
• Differences in chemical/microbiological compositions of foods do not necessarily imply health differences
• Need to know the magnitude of the differences and whether the magnitude is of significance
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