Organics: Are They Worth It?

A guide to deciding what to buy for your family

By Melissa Balmain


Organic grapes: $2.99 a pound. Organic milk: $3.59 a half gallon.
Organic peanut butter: $4.89 a jar. Which - if any - are worth the
extra money?

Some experts say the answer's simple: You needn't spend a cent on
organics, because all foods and drinks are kept safe by strict
government standards. But many doctors and researchers recommend
organics because harsh pesticides, artificial hormones, and antibiotics
aren't used to produce them. And some people think organic food just
tastes better.

More study is needed before it's clear how organics can make families
healthier. For now, the most important thing is to feed your kids a
variety of whole grains, fresh produce, and other nutritious stuff -
organic or not.

A good rule of thumb for organic foods, from Environmental Working
Group, a research and advocacy organization in Washington, DC: Choose
organic versions of things your kids eat all the time. More to help you
decide whether to buy organics:

Fruits and veggies
Conventional produce - fresh or frozen - is generally higher in
pesticides than any other food group. There's no proof that such
residues harm children or fetuses. But since studies suggest that
overall exposure to pesticides (through air, water, and food) threatens
our health and development, many experts advise lowering your exposure
any way you can. Organic produce has few or no strong pesticides, and
may contain more nutrients such as vitamin C, flavonoids, and zinc.
Worth buying organic? Yes, to avoid produce that's heaviest in
pesticides: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes,
nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and
strawberries. For more info, see www.foodnews.org.


Fruit juice, applesauce, and dried fruit
Juice and applesauce are much lower in pesticides than the fruits
they're made from. But many kids consume so much of both that their
exposure levels concern researchers. Ditto for raisins and other dried
fruit, which may develop concentrated pesticide residues in the drying
process.
Worth buying organic? Only if your child's a heavy drinker of 100
percent fruit juice or really loves applesauce and dried fruit. (Fruit
"drinks," "cocktails," "punches," and "ades" are basically sugar water,
so organics don't offer any advantage.)

Meat, dairy, and eggs
Meat and dairy are relatively low in pesticides, but they contain
hormones and antibiotics (at levels the government says are safe).
Bovine growth hormone, given to dairy cows, may well be harmless to us
in itself, but it makes cows produce more of a second hormone that some
research suggests might raise the risk of certain cancers. Antibiotic
residues are so slight that they probably won't affect your family
directly, but their massive use on farms helps spawn drug-resistant
bacteria that can reach us - through undercooked burgers, for
instance. Those bacteria share their resistance with other bugs, making
antibiotics less effective for people. Organics contain neither
hormones nor antibiotics.
Organic meats also are required to be free of potentially harmful
artificial preservatives like nitrates or nitrites, which are in hot
dogs and some deli meats.
Beyond that, there's no clear nutritional bonus to organic meats,
dairy, and eggs unless they come from grass-fed cattle or pastured
poultry, which may contain more healthy ingredients such as omega-3
fatty acids and vitamin E. (To find them near you, go to
www.eatwild.com.)
Worth buying organic? Yes, if your child eats a lot of nitrate-heavy
meats, or you're concerned about the possible risk of hormones and the
state of antibiotic resistance.

Baby food
Most baby foods, from purees to juices to teething biscuits, have few
or no pesticide residues, synthetic hormones, or antibiotics.
Worth buying organic? No.

Bread, cereal, and pasta
Grains tend to have lower pesticide residues than produce, but organic
versions may provide more fiber and nutrients because they are less
processed.
Worth buying organic? Less so than other food groups. (And if your
child's eating any whole grains - even nonorganic ones - that's a
coup!)

Other ways to make meals safer
If you don't buy organics, these steps can help lighten pesticide
residues and other risks.

Wash produce (including organics) thoroughly in running water - even
thick-skinned fruits such as melons, since cutting an unwashed rind can
contaminate a fruit's insides.

Choose skim or low-fat milk and lean meats whenever possible.
Pesticides and pollutants such as dioxin (which is also found in
organics) tend to be concentrated in fat.

There's no such thing as organic fish, but you can lower your exposure
to toxins by removing skin and draining fat. If your kids like tuna,
stick to "light" canned tuna, rather than albacore, or "white," which
has more mercury.
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Sheldon