Table of contents |
2 Organic food & preservatives 3 Is organic food "better"? 4 External links |
Organic food can be grouped into three categories, reflecting price, availability, and consumer perception:
Types of Organic Food
The general definition of fresh organic food is similar to that of organic farming:
A small farm can grow vegetables and raise livestock using organic farming practices, with or without certification. In either case, the nature of "organic" seems equally clear to consumers. Certification acts as a confirmation or assurance.
For processed organic food, the general definition is:
Unfortunately, there are no natural models for preserving food the way it's found in supermarkets today.
Preserving food has always been a central agricultural issue. Today, it is the cornerstone of the food industry. In wealthier locales, an impressive array of technologies is used to make food "last" longer, from home refrigerators and freezers at the consumer end, to industrial and chemical practices applied along the food production chain, from seed to field to fridge or table.
In general, organic standards cover in detail this entire process, specifying what is an "organic" ingredient or practice. However, since there is little natural reference for preparing, for example, a precooked, frozen entree, a "certified organic" label on such an item may be hard to understand. The main ingredients are one thing, the processes and additives used to assemble and store them are quite another.
This quickly leads to a possible conclusion that may seem startling and impossible in developed nations: most of what's found in supermarkets today can never be called "organic". The idea is not new, and whole foods have long been part of the health food diet. However, should this idea become widespread, it poses a serious threat to today's agribusiness. Therefore, there is de facto agribusiness interest in controlling the definition of "organic food".Organic food & preservatives