The A to Z of Organic Food

Organic food is the food produced naturally without the use of any chemical pesticides, artificial fertilizers or processing techniques. In the present circumstances, with the amount of toxins and pesticide residues in our food reaching alarming proportions, organically produced food is being considered the safest choice. Throughout the world organic food stores have been growing phenomenally in both the developed and the developing countries.

History of organic food

The food that man has been cultivating right since the dawn of civilization can be considered organic since no harmful chemicals or preservatives were used in it. During the fifties, the human population saw a great increase and this created a huge demand for food. Farmers started using extremely intensive agricultural methods with increased dependence on chemical pesticides and fertilizers resulting in increased health disorders. However with time, People started understanding the health implications of such food and the demand for food produced without any synthetic chemical treatments increased tremendously.

Types of organic food

Organic food can be both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian. Organically produced meat is derived from animals which are not injected with any artificial hormones or drugs such as antibiotics.

Unprocessed organic food is mostly in the form of vegetables and fruits. This sort of food can be purchased directly from the growers or from specialty food stores.

Organic food is also obtained in the processed form. Here the food is processed under natural conditions without any artificial methods such as chemical ripening being used. No artificial additives are added to such food.

Benefits of organic food

· Foods grown naturally have high levels of flavonoids, an antioxidant and phenolic compounds which protect us against cancer and heart disease.

· Organic food products are considered to be tastier than conventionally produced food products.

· Since they are grown without the aid of any chemicals organic food is considered to have more nutritional value than conventional food, but this has yet to be proven scientifically. However this type of food is definitely safer to consume since it lacks any harmful pesticides or hormone residues.

· Growing organic food is also very eco-friendly. Several extensive studies have shown that excessive use of pesticides and fungicides over crops result in air and water pollution. Apart from giving rise to several health disorders in human beings this also severely affects the natural development of wild flora and fauna.

Cons

The biggest disadvantage of organic food is that it is more expensive than conventional food since its production is more labor intensive. Also since these crops cannot be sprayed with pesticides, it is usually attacked by insects and pests which results in lower yields and this also contributes to the price rise.

Identification of genuine organic food is another problem since most sellers or store keepers claim to sell organic produce. However many countries in recent times have introduced "certified organic" labels to identify organically grown food.

Organic foods are here to stay and are definitely a much healthier alternative to normally grown food.