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Is Organic Better?
Until recently, claims could not be made about the benefits of organic production systems or products. In the UK, however, the British Code of Advertising has now accepted 22 claims that can be made about organic food.
These claims cover everything from pesticides, food additives, fats, antibiotics, vitamins and minerals, genetic engineering, animal welfare, wildlife and the environment. These claims are supported by a growing body of research that has been designed to compare organic foods and production systems with other systems.
 So aside from reducing risk, is organic food more nutritious? The claim being made in the UK is “No food has higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins than organic food”. Research from around the world has supported this statement. There is not always a difference between organic food and other food, but when there is a difference, organic foods do have higher amounts of these beneficial substances.
TASTE TEST: This usually convinces people that organic is better. Try some conventionally grown celery or carrots, then eat organic celery or carrots (raw is the best test) and you will notice that the organically grown produce is much tastier than its conventionally grown counterpart. Meats “taste like they used to” is what is most often overheard from people (who remember local, family farm raised meats) trying organic meats for the first time. We cannot see the lack of chemicals and drugs in organic foods, but we CAN taste the difference!
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Did you know?
Organic is the only type of agriculture with a set of principles that puts nature first. These principles are enshrined in industry-developed standards approved by consumers and verified annually by third party organizations. As of 2009, Canada's federal organic standards are now backed by government regulation and oversight.
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Genetically modified foods: YES you’re eating them, and NO, they're not safe!
 Did you know…..since 1996 Americans & Canadians have been eating genetically modified (GM) ingredients in most processed foods.
Did you know..…GM plants, such as soy-bean, corn, cottonseed and canola, have had foreign genes forced into their DNA. The inserted genes come from species such as bacteria and viruses, which have never been in the human food supply before.
Did you know..…the American Academy of Environmental Medicine states, “several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. They ask physicians to advise patients to avoid GM food!
Genetic modification is radically different from natural breeding
Genetic engineering transfers genes across natural species barriers. It uses imprecise laboratory techniques that bear no resemblance to natural breeding, and is based on outdated concepts of how genes and cells work. Gene insertion is done either by shooting genes from a “gene gun” into a plate of cells or by using bacteria to invade the cell with foreign DNA. The altered cell is then cloned into the plant.
Widespread, unpredictable changes
The genetic engineering process creates massive collateral damage:
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Mutations are produced in hundreds or thousands of locations throughout the plant’s DNA
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Natural genes can be deleted or permanently turned on or off
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Hundreds of genes may change their behaviour
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Even the inserted gene can be damaged or re-arranged, and may create proteins that can trigger allergies or promote disease
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