Organic foods may follow strict production regulations, but having an organic label doesn’t necessarily mean that produce is safer, healthier, or more nutritious

Is Organic Produce Really Safer to Eat?

Organic foods may follow strict production regulations, but having an organic label doesn’t necessarily mean that produce is safer, healthier, or more nutritious

• Organic carrots were recalled last week in connection to an E. coli outbreak, leaving 38 sick and one person dead.
• To be considered “organic,” foods have to meet a variety of production regulations set by the USDA, but having an organic label doesn’t necessarily mean that produce is safer, healthier, or more nutritious.
• To ensure the safety of your food, experts recommend paying attention to food recalls and thoroughly washing any produce you eat raw under running water.

Last week, a California company called Grimmway Farms voluntarily recalled multiple brands of bagged baby and whole carrots linked to a deadly outbreak of the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli). In addition to coming from the same producer, the carrots shared another common feature: they were all organic. 

Though it’s unclear what caused the E. coli contamination, the recall might be a wake-up call for some people who pay more for organic produce, assuming it means a product that’s better for health and free of pathogens. Indeed, research shows that food safety is a common driver behind the purchase of organic food.

So is the recall an outlier, or is organic produce no safer than conventionally grown options? And what does it mean to be organic, anyway? Experts explain. 

What Does Organic Mean, Exactly?

Crops must meet various regulations to carry the “organic” label from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For example, the company must be overseen by a USDA-accredited agent, and the crop must be produced without using “genetically modified organisms” and ionizing radiation. Produce must also be grown on soil with no prohibited substances, which includes most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, applied for at least three years before harvest.

An organic label doesn’t mean farmers use no chemicals; they may still use pesticides and herbicides to kill potentially harmful bugs and viruses, but they have to be included on a list of substances approved by the Food and Drug Administration. 

Notably, though, the regulations don’t reference anything about safety. “‘Organic’ only refers to crop management practices and not the safety of the food,” Stephanie Smith, PhD, an assistant professor and consumer food safety specialist at Washington State University’s School of Food Science, told Health.

Is Organic Produce Safer and Healthier Than the Alternative?

Despite the heftier price tag, there’s no evidence that eating organic produce reduces the risk of encountering pathogens. 

“Our food is grown outside, where there may be exposures to animals and their waste,” Smith said. “Pathogens are equal opportunity contaminators; they do not care if the produce is organic.” 

Case in point: a 2012 systematic review in Annals of Internal Medicine found that E. coli contamination risk did not differ between organic and conventional produce.

According to some experts, certain organic farming practices might even increase the risk of foodborne illness. “There is a perception that organic produce is safer, although in reality the crop is exposed to more biological hazards,” Keith Warriner, PhD, a professor of food science at the University of Guelph, told Health in an email. “For example, rather than using synthetic fertilizer, organic producers will use composted manure or apply raw manure to land, then wait 90–120 days for the pathogens to die off (though not all do).” In cases like this, he said the risk of E. coli contamination increases.

Other organic practices that might raise risk, Warriner said, include not adding chlorine to wash water, potentially causing cross-contamination during post-harvest washing, or using fungicide alternatives that are less effective than traditional fungicides at killing foodborne pathogens. 

Perhaps due to these and other practices, a 2019 article in the journal Missouri Medicine noted that organic foods are recalled four to eight times more frequently than their conventional counterparts.

Many people also choose organic produce, believing that it will lower exposure to harmful chemicals and prevent chronic conditions like cancer. But there’s not much evidence to back these beliefs up, either.  

A 2021 survey of pesticide residues looked at 10,127 organic and non-organic food samples, 94% of which were fresh and processed produce, in nine different states. It found that more than 99% had residue levels that fell below standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

And while some studies, such as 2018 research in JAMA Internal Medicine, have suggested that eating organic foods might lower cancer risk, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has noted that the study has significant limitations, like not taking into account that people who eat organic foods are also more likely to engage in other cancer-preventing lifestyle behaviors like exercising and not smoking. According to the AICR, eating plant-based foods in general, rather than selecting organic over conventional, has stronger ties to cancer prevention.

Is Organic Food More Nutritious?

While studies have occasionally identified elevated levels of nutrients in some organically grown foods, research doesn’t paint an overall favorable picture of health benefits.

For example, the 2012 review in Annals in Internal Medicine, which analyzed data from 223 studies on nutrient and contamination levels, reported a lack of strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventionally grown varieties. 

“From a science perspective, there is no difference in the nutrition of organic versus inorganic,” Warriner said.  

Best Practices to Ensure Food Safety

To ensure the safety of the food in your fridge and pantry, Warriner encourages paying attention to recalls, particularly if you’re immunocompromised.

“There are certain produce types which are implicated more than others,” he said. “For example, bagged salads have been implicated in more outbreaks than intact leafy greens. Sprouted seeds are also considered high-risk, along with frozen fruit such as strawberries.”

Also, wash your produce to remove pathogens, Smith advised. “Fruits and vegetables consumed raw will always carry some risk,” she said. “However, consumers can help to reduce their risk by thoroughly washing all produce under running water before consuming.” Even if produce has skin you won’t eat, such as melons, she says to go ahead and wash it because cutting through it may push pathogens on the outside into the flesh.

Temperature is another key factor in reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Per the USDA, bacteria grow most rapidly at temperatures between 40° and 140°F. Keep food out of this range by refrigerating, freezing, or cooking. 

This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Sarah Garone, NDTR