Healthy Foods

Organics: More than a Natural Choice

September | October 2008

Interest in organic products has grown from grassroots to big business. Once limited to freshly picked produce in crates at a farmers market, organics now appear in Wal-Mart, as fresh and shelf-stable products. General Mills, Kellogg, Mars, and many other food manufacturers and large grocers are rapidly expanding their organic product offerings.

Which makes business sense. According to the Organic Trade Association, the organic foods market is expected to hit $46 billion by 2010, up from $10.8 billion in 2003.

Sales of fresh, organic produce totaled $703.5 million in 2007, an increase of 152 percent over 2005. Organic egg sales increased 125 percent and sales of organic milk and cream sales increased 202 percent over the same period.

So why do more than 70 percent of U.S. consumers purchase organic foods at least occasionally? For their health and safety.

The average child in America is exposed to five pesticides daily in their food and drinking water. The good news: the traces of pesticides will disappear in less than a week by eating organic produce rather than non-organic produce.

Organic foods are grown and processed differently than conventional foods. Organics are produced without synthetic hormones, antibiotics, radiation, bioengineering, synthetic fertilizers and most pesticides. Production methods generally emphasize the use of renewable resources and water and soil conservation. An organic cow, for instance, must eat pasture grass or animal feed that has not been treated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

And long surmised but only recently proven, organically-produced foods are better for you. Following a comprehensive review of scientific literature comparing nutrient levels in organic and conventional food, a March 2008 study from The Organic Center concluded that organically grown, plant-based foods are 25 percent more nutritious than their non-organic counterparts.

Additionally, eating organic fruits and vegetables will increase antioxidant intake by about 30 percent over conventionally grown produce.

Labeling Rules

To carry the green U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Organic seal, a product must be 100 percent organic or consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. The product may not display the seal, but may be labeled as “made with organic ingredients” if it consists of at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients.

This organic claim is allowed on the display panel. If it contains less than 70 percent organic ingredients, the product may only use the term “organic” in reference to specific ingredients that are organically produced. No organic claim is allowed on the display panel.

Confused? Then pause and think about your “all natural” food selections. While organic certification is highly regulated, the term “natural” is unregulated.

A fresh peach, for example, seems pretty natural. But peaches have the highest pesticide load among all produce. Not so peachy.

In packaged goods, if a label claims a product is 100 percent natural, it generally won’t contain artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and will have no synthetic ingredients.

A 2007 study in The Lancet reported a variety of artificial food colors and preservatives commonly found in soft drinks, fruit juices, and other foods, increase hyperactive behaviors in children.

But just because a product is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s a healthy choice. It may be brimming with sugar, fat and calories. Check the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel on packaged goods to see what’s really in the item.

Companies often mislead consumers about their environmental practices or their products’ environmental benefit. TerraChoice, an environmental marketing agency, says some claims are vague, lacking explanation and substantiation. “Arsenic is natural,” the firm says in a published study of environmental claims. “So are uranium, mercury and formaldehyde. All are poisonous.”

Cancer Treatment Centers of America

“We encourage patients to eat as organically as possible, especially during treatment,” said Carolyn Lammersfeld, RD, LDN, National Director of Nutrition, Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center, Zion, Ill. “Organic food is higher in nutrients and the body has fewer chemicals and additives to detoxify. A cancer patient’s body is already detoxifying medications to treat the disease; why make that more difficult?”

CTCA’s kitchen leads by example and pays a premium for its focus on high quality food.

“We know our food costs are 3 to 4 times higher than most hospitals,” said Lammersfeld, “but our return is in patient impact and satisfaction.”

People with cancer often experience weight loss or malnutrition. CTCA’s patients rave about the food and many gain weight while in treatment.

CTCA has been serving patients organic and locally-sourced foods for more than 10 years. Through patient education, one aim is to move organics from a patient’s dining tray to the patient’s dining room table.

“One of the main things we do is counsel patients during and after treatment,” said Lammersfeld. “The goal is to prevent a return of cancer. We encourage patients to eat foods that are in as natural a state as possible when they return home, and to try to choose things with no added pesticides or hormones.”

Since their access to organic foods may be limited, Lammersfeld stresses to patients that they shouldn’t compromise variety. And she recommends patients choose products low in animal fats, and to carefully wash food to minimize risk when they can’t eat organically.

“If healthcare organizations focus on incorporating more organics into their foodservice, the more available and less expensive they will become for hospitals and for consumers,” said Lammersfeld. “It’s a goal we should all rally around.”

Overlake Hospital Medical Center

“We want to be as green as possible on patient trays and in our cafés on campus,” said Christopher Linaman, FMP, Manager/Executive Chef, Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue, Wash. “We have a reputation as a hospital focused on providing quality dining options.”

Chef Linaman and his team offer a mind-boggling selection of organic and eco-friendly foods and continue to expand the list. Choices include Seafood Safe^® fish, tested for mercury and PCBs, from EcoFish, a distributor of seafood from ecologically sustainable sources. They also use local organic greens and produce; bakery made from organic flour; organic pastas; organic yogurts; rBGH-free milk; free-range poultry and meats, and organic and fair-trade coffee.

“Our customers really enjoy the grilled fish and organic salad options every day,” said Chef Linaman. “With Whole Foods Market located directly across the street from us, we have both a great resource for additional education and new products, and big competition for the dining dollars of our very health conscious employees.”

Chef Linaman admits ruefully that some folks still want their chicken strips, cheeseburgers, and fries. And he and his team abide, but insist they be prepared with zero trans fat oil.

Fletcher Allen Health Care

Burlington, Vt.-based Fletcher Allen Health Care also touts an impressive list of organics, including hormone-free milk, ice cream and mozzarella, organic yogurt, and locally produced ground beef and burgers, from animals that are primarily grassfed and are free from synthetic hormones.

Diane Imrie, RD, Director of Nutrition Services, at Fletcher Allen Health Care, says her team is constantly working on healthy and sustainable food initiatives.

For example, they recently conducted an analysis of their fish and seafood offerings, looking at mercury levels, the health of the species’ population, how it is fished or produced, and the distance traveled from harvesting to the hospital.

“After seeing the results, we eliminated a few of the fish due to mercury content,” said Imrie. “And one fish was harvested well, but shipped to China for packaging!”

Patients approve of organic, local and healthy food on the menu and the hospital’s Press Ganey scores back that up. Employees are also supportive.

“At the retail level we note where certain items come from,” said Imrie. “We regularly hear employees say things like, ‘Oh, I live near that farm!’ or ‘Hey, that’s my cousin’s operation!’ That makes our jobs even more fun.”