A speaker at a colloquium I once attended referred to Organic Food as being “The only food in which the only permissible additive is POLITICS” (Emphasis his.)

The issue of Organic Foods is one I plan to revisit on this site. Let me begin by stating that I work in the food industry with an MS in food safety and technology. I also work closely with the FDA and USDA on occasion so this is not a topic on which I’m talking out my ass. Second, although I am by no means an expert on the subject of chemical contaminants and animal hormones, I have no scientific reason whatsoever to believe that organic foods offer any significant health benefit.

I am not going to expound on this topic very much at this time but I will leave you with two points about the organic food industry that I frequently cite as evidence that the industry is a huge load of crap.

1. Organic foods provide a means for producers to charge significantly more for their products. It’s no secret that companies are always looking for ways to charge more through brand alteration (for example, coming out with a “Lite” version of a product.) Organic foods are a proverbial jackpot in this regard. Go to a supermarket, pick up a bag of organic tortilla chips. Nowhere on the bag will you find the phrase “Organic tortilla chips.” It will say something like “Made with Organic Corn.” I’ve got news for you: that is not an organic product you’re holding. I’ll bet they cost you more than Tostidos though!

2. This goes back to the tortilla chip point I made. The regulations for branding something as “Organic” are confused and ridiculous. The moment you add anything to a food it ceases to be considered organic. “Anything” in this case includes basic ingredients like water and salt. The regulation is designed to prevent producers from exploiting labeling loopholes but in practice it makes no sense whatsoever.