healthier than non-organic food. Nonetheless, consumers have embraced the term as
signifying foods that are better for them or their families because foods grown organi-
cally are not grown with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or hormones. Many consum-
ers may be skeptical that organic foods are truly healthier or worth the extra expense
or time spent finding them, but organic products now comprise 2 percent of total
U.S. food sales. Organic food and beverages are gaining market share in mainstream
channels, showing that both retailers and consumers are interested in food grown
under organic conditions.
Claimed Benefits
In the food industry, defining the benefits of organic food is largely left to word
of mouth, media coverage, and the promotional efforts of organic advocates. Major
food and beverage corporations such as Kraft Foods, Heinz, Coca-Cola, Pepsi,
Cargill, Unilever, General Mills, and Campbell’s Soup have moved rapidly to acquire
significant organic market share.^54 Still, the specific sales points of organics go
largely unmentioned on product packaging and in mainstream media advertising.
Claims of improved food quality are regularly used in conventional food marketing,
with ‘‘low fat,’’ ‘‘low sodium,’’ ‘‘whole grain,’’ ‘‘high fiber,’’ ‘‘vitamin enriched,’’ ‘‘no
trans fat,’’ and other commonly advertised benefits. By contrast, ‘‘certified organic’’
is generally left to stand on its own as self-explanatory, assisted only by general terms
such as ‘‘natural.’’ Meanwhile, consumer surveys have consistently identified food
quality as the main reason for purchasing organic food. Higher nutritional value, no
toxic residues from pesticides, and better taste are often cited, as is the positive
impact of organic production on the environment.^55 Whether organic food actually
delivers on these desires is controversial and the subject of scientifically inconclusive
debate. The debate concentrates on a variety of specific and supposedly demonstra-
ble characteristics that proponents have claimed make organic food production supe-
rior to conventional food production.
Risk for Children
Organic foods are good for children andthey help preserve the rural environ-
ment. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that one of the main sources
of pesticide exposure for children comes from the food they eat. According to the
FDA, half of produce currently tested in grocery stores contains measurable residues
of pesticides. Laboratory tests of eight industry-leading baby foods revealed the
presence of sixteen pesticides, includingthree carcinogens. According to ‘‘Guide-
lines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment,’’ children receive 50 percent of their lifetime
cancer risks in the first two years of life. In blood samples of children ages two to
four, concentrations of pesticide residues were six times higher in children who ate
conventionally farmed fruits and vegetablescomparedtothosewhoconsumed
organic food.^56
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