Week Two – Organic Foods

Buying Organic Foods

It is difficult to interpret research that compares organic food to conventionally grown food. Many factors such as the quality of soil, temperature and light during the growing season, and the variety of seeds planted, or the breed of animal can affect the nutritional content of a food. In most situations, these factors are not controlled and accurate comparisons can’t be made.

However, some research has indicated that vitamin A, beta-carotene and B vitamins are generally the same in organically and conventionally grown vegetables and fruit, but some phytochemicals (compounds that are neither vitamins nor minerals, but thought to be helpful to health) are higher in organic produce. Therefore, some foods grown organically may have more nutritional value, and some may have the same, or even less, than those grown on non-organic farms.

For vegetables, fruit and cereal crops, organic farmers use techniques such as green manures and compost to enrich the soil. Green manures are special crops that are planted, grown, and then ploughed back into the soil. Organic farmers also use both plant and animal compost to keep the soil fertile. These practices can result in higher nutrient content of the soil, and perhaps of foods grown in it.

Some non-organic farmers may also use both organic farming techniques and non-organic farming techniques (such as chemical fertilizers). This makes it hard to state that organically grown foods are more nutritious than foods grown in other ways. The best advice is to eat a variety of vegetables and fruit.

Legislation

The Government of Canada has created the Canada Organic Regime in response to requests to develop a regulated system for organic agricultural products. It has been developed to protect consumers against misleading labelling practices, reduce consumer confusion about the definition of organic foods, help Canadians access organic food, and support further development of the Canadian organic food market.

The Organic Products Regulations define specific requirements for organic products to be labelled as organic or bear the organic logo. An organic product is an agricultural product that had been certified as organic. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of the Regulations.

In order for products to be certified under the new Canada Organic Regime, producers must develop an organic production system based on the Canadian Organic Standards and have their products certified by a Certification Body accredited under the Canada Organic Regime.

As of June 30, 2009, any product with an organic claim must comply with the requirements of the Organic Products Regulations. To recognize an organic product look for:

Only products with organic content that is greater than or equal to 95% may be labelled as “organic” or bear the organic logo. Use of the organic logo is voluntary.
Multi-ingredient products with 70-95% organic content may have the declaration “contains X% organic ingredients.” These products may not use the organic logo and/ or claim to be “organic.”
Multi-ingredient products with less than 70% organic content may only contain organic claims in the product’s ingredient list. These products may not use the organic logo.
Certified products must also bear the name of the certification body that has certified the product as organic.

Source:
Canadian Food Labelling Initiative
Dieticians of Canada
Health Canada