What is organic food?

Simply put, organic food is grown without any artificial fertilizers and chemical pesticides and herbicides. Organic meat is raised without the use of artificial hormones and routine antibiotic treatments and animals being raised for meat are also fed a diet that is natural to their biological design.

For instance, most beef that is raised for human consumption these days is fed on grain but cattle have digestive tracts designed to eat and digest grass. Grass feed beef cattle have yellow fat and no striations in their muscles. But grain fed beef cattle’s fat is white and the flesh is full of white stripes. Besides for this manifestation, organic beef cattle are healthier and do not need routine antibiotics.

A couple of years ago “free range” chickens became the hottest term in the green food movement. Free range brings many images to mind, particularly the one of green rolling hills where all the hens roam for hours outside in the sun shine where they are free to scratch and sand bath the way they did before becoming a desirable addition to the dinner table.

However, the sad truth is that most large free range chicken companies keep their chickens in long sheds with artificial lighting, only out of cages like the battery chickens.

When looking for a true organic chicken you need to check the following things:

We have a wonderful local supplier of really free range chickens where we live that have met all these criteria, so be sure to check out these points by telephoning your supplier and make sure that “free” is truly free!

Certified organic food has been through a series of stringent tests before it has this accreditation. Some farmers complain that these tests and checks cripple them, but once they have the certification they share a widening market and enjoy seeing the fruit of their labours.

When we consider switching to an organic diet, we also need to consider our reasons for buying it. Many people think that organic food has more nutritional value. According to a study done this year (2009) in the UK, it has been found that it does not in fact hold more nutritional value than foods grown conventionally.

But, anyone who has ever tasted an organically home-grown tomato can tell that they sure do taste better! Added to this you know that there are no other nasties (like residual pesticides) which can have adverse health effects on your and your family.

Another point to remember is that organic farming is labour intensive, which creates more jobs; it is also kinder on the environment and allows for more energy efficiency as well as water saving techniques.

While this is rather a broad overview of what is organic food, I do hope that it has given you some “food for thought”! You can read further at Advantages of Organic Food