Sales of organic food have increased by more than 10 per cent in the past year according to figures from the Soil Association and chances are you've seen the label organic in the supermarket and are wondering what the fuss is about. HEATHER RAMSDEN went in search of some answers and found out what the experts have to say about organic food

Only 10 years ago, you would not see organic food in supermarkets but now all major retailers sell not only organic fruits and vegetables, but meat and processed food as well.

So what is it?

According to the Soil Association, organic food means the food or animals are grown and reared as naturally as possible. Crops are produced without artificial pesticides or weedkillers and animals are kept free-range without the routine use of antibiotics and vaccines.

Organic processed food is also different as many of the food additives, such as artificial sweeteners and hydrogenated fat, are not allowed.

Standards also prohibit the use of genetically-modified ingredients, in organic food and in animal feed. The term organic is defined by European law and therefore it is illegal to claim food is organic if it has not been independently assessed.

The Soil Association (through its certification division SA Cert) licenses around 80 per cent of all organic food so if you find its symbol or its code number UK5 on the product you can rest assured it has been certified.

Your health:

In an article published by the Association of Primary Care Groups and Trusts, Soil Association policy projects co-ordinator, James Cleeton said an organic diet had the following health benefits:

  • it reduces the amount of toxic chemicals ingested
  • it totally avoids genetically-modified organisms
  • it reduces the amount of food additives and colourings
  • it increases the amount of beneficial vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and antioxidants consumed
  • it appears to have the potential to lower the incidence of conditions such as cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies and hyperactivity in children.

Animal welfare:

According to the Soil Association organic farming methods are kinder to animals because farm animals must, by law, be cared for without relying on drugs to treat illnesses.

The animals have access to the outdoors and they are never given genetically-modified food, growth-promoting drugs or routine antibiotics.

Even when animals are being transported and taken for slaughter, methods are required to be as humane as possible.

The environment:

The Soil Association says the number farmland birds has declined by up to 95 per cent since the introduction of pesticides into farming.

It says organic farms have 44 per cent more birds in fields and more than five times as many wild plants.

One reason for this is organic farmers try to have trees, hedges and un-farmed field edges surrounding their crops to provide habitats for natural predators such as beetles, spiders and birds to control pests.

Organic farming also bans artificial fertilisers which threaten to pollute waters and fields are fertilised by rotating crops, using composted manure and planting crops which naturally feed nitrogen to the soil.

Babies:

Almost 50 per cent of baby food sales today are organic. In fact sales of organic baby food have risen by nearly six per cent, compared with a slight decline in non-organic baby food.

The Soil Association says studies have shown organic food can contain higher levels of essential fatty acids such as omega 3 which play an important role in brain development.

It also warns safety testing for leftover chemicals in our food doesn't take into account the difference in size between children and adults so due to their size children are at risk of eating up to five times more chemical residues than adults.

The Food Standards Agency

The chairman of the Food Standards Agency, Sir John Krebs, is on record as saying: "Organic food contains fewer residues of pesticides used in conventional agriculture, so buying organic is one way to reduce the chances your food contains these pesticides."

However, while the Food Standards Agency is pressing for a reduction of pesticide residues in food, it believes the current scientific evidence does not show organic food is any safer or more nutritious than conventionally-produced food.

Sir John says it is possible to produce conventionally-grown fruit and vegetables with minimal residues and what should be encouraged is good practice by producers, whatever method they use.

So whether or not you decide to choose organic food, one thing the experts agree on is that organic food cuts the chances that your food will contain pesticide residues, and the Soil Association warns these residues are a serious threat to our health.