Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Is Organic Food Safe to Eat?
A recent New York Times article examines the national outbreak of salmonella in peanut products and the fact that although the plants in Texas and Georgia that sent out contaminated products had federal organic certification their products made people sick. Now people who use organic produce because they want their families to be healthier are concerned about this organic certification.
The article, says that although the rules governing organic food require health inspections and pest-management plans, organic certification technically has nothing to do with food safety. Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist and policy analyst with Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, said people should not assume that organic foods are safer in terms of pathogens.
The organic movement in the US started with farmers who wanted to grow food using methods they believed were better for the land and produced healthier food, and promoted a close relationship between the farmer and the customer. By 2002, federal organic regulations limited pesticide use and restricted some kinds of animal feed. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the green and white "certified organic" seal and decided who could certify this seal. The certifiers are paid by the farmers and manufacturers they are inspecting to guarantee that standards are met.
The USDA Organic Program, provides a list of allowed and prohibited substances, as well as a list of USDA accredited certifying agents. There is information on the website for how to get certified, as well as how to file a complaint. There is also an Organic Cost Share Program with information available on the website.
Barbara C. Robinson, acting director of the Agriculture Department’s National Organic Program, said she recently directed 96 organizations that perform foreign and domestic organic inspections. These inspectors are required to look at pesticide levels, crop management techniques, and potential health violations and report them to the property health and safety officials. By taking into account health conditions, organic certifiers will provide another set of eyes identifying potential problems.
The organic farming industry has grown from $11 billion in 2001 to $20 billion in 2008. Some consumers are demanding that certification be improved. Although the organic label doesn’t include it, some people want food that is grown locally, harvested from animals that were treated humanely, or produced by workers being paid a fair wage. The Organic Trade Association, represents 1,700 organic companies. Organic Trade Association (OTA) is a membership-based business association that focuses on the organic business community in North America. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy. The Association is beginning a new publicity campaign on the benefits of organic food.
Kathleen A. Merrigan who was recently appointed to be deputy agriculture secretary, helped design the national organic standards. Organic farmers and their organizations see Merrigan as a champion of organic farmers.
