| Research has shown that fertilizers, pesticides and | | | | afternoon you can buy 100% organic fruit and |
| hormone supplements have successfully entered | | | | vegetables without worrying about the ulterior |
| the food chain have become common place in our | | | | motives of the big 3. Organic purists prefer a little |
| food and drink. Consequently, this has had a | | | | soil on their carrots than the clinically prepared |
| knock on effect on the environment and our | | | | plastic packaged semi-organic alternatives in the |
| health with concern increasing more and more. | | | | supermarket. There are many online companies |
| Expensive labels? | | | | like Abel & Cole who will take your order over |
| Organic food costs more simply because it costs | | | | the internet or over the phone and deliver it |
| more money and time to prepare. For example | | | | straight to your door (soil included). |
| certain types of apples can be sprayed up to 16 | | | | The organic industry came under criticism by the |
| times with 36 different pesticides and 350 | | | | former head of the government's food watchdog. |
| chemicals are regularly used in conventional | | | | "My advice would be not to worry about the |
| farming. Only four are permitted in organic | | | | organic, but worry about your kids having more |
| farming. Even though this might be the case | | | | vegetables," said Sir John Krebs, head of the Food |
| careful inspection into the food labelled | | | | Standards Agency until April 2005. He had also |
| ‘organic' can open up another can of worms. | | | | said that there was no scientific evidence to |
| There are a few classes of organic product on | | | | prove that organic food was healthier. |
| the shelves which break down as follows: | | | | Lord Melchett, policy director for the Soil |
| Made with organic ingredients - Only 70% of the | | | | Association retorted saying "[He] turns round and |
| ingredients must be organic | | | | says, 'well it would be much better to eat three |
| Organic - At least 95 percent of ingredients are | | | | portions of spinach a week than switch to organic' |
| produced organically | | | | - this is, I think, an intellectually flawed argument," |
| 100% organic - No synthetic ingredients are | | | | You get what you pay for. As with anything |
| allowed by law | | | | there is a trade off between how much you're |
| The price naturally increments skywards | | | | willing to pay for something and what you'll get |
| depending on how ‘organic' the produce really | | | | out of it; this I think we are all happy to accept. |
| is and adds those unwanted pennies to your bill. | | | | The issue here seems to be the size of this |
| At the same time it gives an insight into | | | | industry and the relative ignorance surrounding it, |
| companies who use a minimum of organic | | | | leaving the public to do their own research into |
| ingredients to attain the label. | | | | what they're buying to make sure they're money |
| Many are turning to farmers markets springing up | | | | is well spent. |
| all over the UK, where on a Saturday or Sunday | | | | |