Paper Palate

I am a “sometimes” organic foods shopper. For some products, I am willing to pay more for the organic version, especially if a recipe calls for a certain organic brand. For other products, I will buy whatever is on sale. However, there are times I consider buying more organic foods based upon the recommendations of friends and a general concern that pesticides, hormones, and preservatives are evil little things.

So imagine my surprise when I ran across this article by Gwen Schoen, Food Writer for the Sacramento Bee (free subscription required). There was a time when you would be hard pressed to find a news or food section article criticizing the use of organic foods. Those days are apparently gone.

The article spends some time on an issue that has been thoroughly discussed elsewhere - how to determine whether products are actually organic or not. What I found the most interesting was the presentation of objections to organic foods. When faced with the choice of organic or non-organic fruits, one local resident stated that she would prefer the one grown with fertilizer and pesticides.

“I do not use organic produce,” says the Natomas resident. “I haven’t quite convinced myself that there are enough safety measures in place to make organic safe.”

“Well, they use raw materials for growth fertilizers and pest control, and I am not comfortable with the processes used for cleaning and sanitizing. Particularly for things you eat raw, like strawberries. Just giving them a quick rinse isn’t enough.”

“I’m just fine with the regular produce I find.”

The article concludes that these are common concerns about organic produce. Prior to this, I had never heard any opposition to the use of organic foods (other than cost), but a quick Google search revealed a shocking number of fierce arguments on both sides of the issue. Now I am thoroughly confused. Have I just been out of the loop?

For more criticism and praise of the organic food movement to further confuse you, check out these New Yorker and Slate articles.