why organic.ppt

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