Organic vs. Natural Walk into any supermarket and right next to certified organic foods will be foods labeled as “natural” or “hormone-free.” What do these labels mean and how are they different from organic? The short answer is that organic is the most stringently regulated, while the others are less so. Don’t confuse them with the term ‘organic.’ Only foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic. • Natural Foods: According to the FDA, “Natural foods are processed without preservatives or additives, but may have been grown with the use of pesticides or other conventional methods.” The FDA regulates the term ‘natural’ only as it applies to added color, synthetic substances, and flavors. • Organic: To use the term “organic” on a food package, farmers and manufacturers must verify through an independent auditing agency that production processes have met all the organic guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA-certified organic produce comes from farms that have refrained from using synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and genetically modified seeds for at least three years. • Hormone-free: this means no hormones (like bovine growth hormone) or antibiotics were unnaturally given to the animal. The USDA-certified organic label cannot contain any artificial hormones.
What are the Health Benefits? So if the organic label has nothing to do with the food being sold, but more the practices of how it was grown, why should you buy it? Supporters of organic food claim that the fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats that result from these practices taste better and are better for you. The claimed health benefits of organic food falls into two categories. The first is that organic food has more nutrients than conventionally grown food. The second is that organic food is free of pesticides, and that exposure to these pesticides is harmful over time. Whichever school of thought you agree with, it seems as though many consumers are getting savvier about this idea and making a choice to cook and eat in places that serve up organic dishes. This is evident through the increase in popularity of farmers’ markets as well as restaurants who are disclosing more about the produce they use on their menus. “People have become more health conscious and concerned about consuming synthetic products used on their foods,” notes Chris Hadermann, of Milton’s restaurant which has three acres of farmland on the restaurant grounds where they grow the fresh vegetables that are used in their dishes. “Because we use only natural products in our soil and plants while they are growing, the produce itself is healthier.” It seems that people are now demanding healthier food in their kitchens as well as in the restaurants they frequent. “As we learn more about the importance of food for our health—that we are, literally, what we eat —and understand the scientific justification for this, people will continue to demand cleaner, better whole foods,” says Executive Chef Linton Hopkins owner of Restaurant Eugene, which uses organic ingredients in its menu items. The FDA regulates whether health claims can be made on food packaging or not, like whether broccoli can help prevent cancer. In order to approve a claim like that, the FDA requires scientific studies to be done showing such a benefit. To date there have not been any studies that really prove that organic food is better for you, but industry experts are working on it. In 2009, a research survey was presented at the EcoFarm summit by Dr. Charles Benbrook of The Organic Center comparing vitamin and mineral levels of foods grown in the same place at the same time: one set organic, one set conventional. These studies were repeated in multiple places with different crops, and the nutrient levels of each set were recorded. The results were that organic foods were higher in concentration for about two thirds of the vitamins and minerals tested. The conventional foods were higher in protein, nitrates, and about one third of vitamins and minerals. In those vitamins and minerals that were higher in the conventional foods, the differences were small, less than 10%. In those vitamins and minerals that were higher in organic foods, the differences were typically much larger, usually 20% or more. It turns out that the application of synthetic, high-nitrogen fertilizers for conventional foods does increase plant growth but does not increase the nutrition of the plants. So conventional farmers get higher yields (more tomatoes for example), but those extra tomatoes don’t have any more nutrition in them. You’d have to eat more conventional tomatoes to get the same nutrition as you’d get from www.bestselfconnect.com
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2011 Organic Shopping Guide Peachtree Road Farmers Market Cathedral of St. Phillip 2744 Peachtree Road NW Atlanta, 30305 (404) 365-1078 www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
Sweet Auburn Curb Market 209 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta, 30303 (404) 659-1665 www.sweetauburncurbmarket.com
Your DeKalb Farmers Market 3000 E. Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur, 30030 (404) 377-6400 www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com
RESTAURANTS Bacchanalia 1198 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, 30318 (404) 365-0410 www.starprovisions.com
Bocado 887 Howell Mill Road NE, Atlanta, 30318 (404) 815-1399 www.bocadoAtlanta.com
Delia’s Chicken Sausage Stand 489 Moreland Ave., Atlanta, 30316 (404) 474-9651 www.thesausagestand.com
Erawan Organic Thai Restaurant 7537 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, 30350 (770) 399-3033 www.besterawan.com
EVOS 5590 Roswell Road Ste. 140, Atlanta, 30342 (404) 252-4022 www.evos.com
Farm Burger 410B W. Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur, 30030 (404) 378-5077 www.farmburger.net
Nectar 1365 Clairmont Road, Decatur, 30033 (404) 633-4400 www.nectarfoods.net
Sawicki’s 250 West Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur, 30030 (404) 377-0992 www.sawickisfoods.com
Restaurant Eugene 2277 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, 30309 (404) 355-0321 www.restauranteugene.com
R Thomas Deluxe Grill 1812 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, 30309 (404) 872-2942 www.rthomasdeluxegrill.net
The Great Cupcake Company 2829 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, 30305 (404) 343-1963 www.greatcupcakecompany.com
Urban Cannibals Bodega & Bites 477 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, Atlanta, 30316 (404) 230-9865
Urban pL8 1082 Huff Road, Atlanta, 30318 (404) 367-0312 www.urbanpl8.com BEST SELF ATLANTA
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