Organic Foods and Health Implications

The popularity of organic food has increased dramatically for over a decade, with double-digit annual growth in consumer demand beginning in the early 1990s and lasting through 2008. As a concept, organic food has such widespread appeal due in large part to a common expectation that it contains only natural ingredients, is prepared using more environmentally sustainable methods, and offers more health benefits than conventionally prepared food. In reality, the “organic” label does not guarantee a nutritional or health-related advantage, but it is an indicator that food production and processing were conducted in a more environmentally sustainable fashion. Consumers are responsible for weighing the personal health benefits of consuming organic versus conventional foods, while taking into account other factors such as financial cost. This entry ...