Universitatea Tehnica Gh.

Asachi,Iasi
Facultatea de Inginerie Chimica si Protectia Mediului

Pros and cons organic foods

Specializare: Inginerie si Management

Grupa 2307

Pros and cons organic foods

Organic foods may have higher nutritional value than conventional food, according to
some research. The reason: In the absence of pesticides and fertilizers, plants boost their
production of the phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants) that strengthen their resistance
to bugs and weeds. Some studies have linked pesticides in our food to everything from
headaches to cancer to birth defects but many experts maintain that the levels in
conventional food are safe for most healthy adults. Even low-level pesticide exposure,
however, can be significantly more toxic for fetuses and children (due to their less-developed
immune systems) and for pregnant women (it puts added strain on their already taxed
organs), according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences.
Pesticide contamination isn't as much of a concern in meats and dairy products
(animals may consume some pesticides, depending on their diet), but many
scientists are concerned about the antibiotics being given to most farm animals: Many are the
same antibiotics humans rely on, and overuse of these drugs has already enabled bacteria to
develop resistance to them, rendering them less effective in fighting infection.
Though organic food can be produced with certain synthetic ingredients. Crops are
generally grown without synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers, irradiation (a form of
radiation used to kill bacteria), or biotechnology. Animals on organic farms eat organically
grown feed, aren't confined 100 percent of the time (as they sometimes are on conventional
farms), and are raised without antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.
Pesticides such as fungicides, herbicides, and insecticide are widely used in
conventional agriculture and residues remain on and/or in the foods. The primary advantage
to organic foods is the non-use of such pesticides, in which organic foods only use organic
pesticides such as bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins. Previous studies conducted on pesticides
have linked pesticides in foods to headaches, cancer, birth defects, and other health related
issues.
In food production, liquid cis-unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils are
hydrogenated to produce saturated fats, which have more desirable physical properties. The
advantage of organic foods is that they do not contain any hydrogenated fat, which are
commonly found in non-organic foods. Hydrogenated fat increases the risk of coronary heart
disease.

Genetic modifications in foods are produced from modifying Deoxyribonucleic Acid

(DNA) of organisms through methods of genetic engineering. Organic foods do not use
genetic modifications, which is an advantage for consumers seeking the benefits sought from
foods that do not use genetic modifications.
A significant advantage of organic foods that include livestock, such as domesticated
animals, is that the animals deemed organic are not given antibiotics, growth hormones, or
fed animal byproducts. Antibiotics in meat production create antibiotic-resistant strains of
bacteria that disable consumers of conventional foods to be less responsive to antibiotic
treatment. Additionally, feeding animal byproducts to animals increases the risk of mad cow
disease and other diseases. An organic livestock producer is also required to create an
appropriate environment that minimizes the animals stress while maintaining living
conditions that accommodate the natural behavior and health of the animal, including access
to the outdoors, shelter, shade, fresh air, direct sunlight, and access to pasture for ruminants.
Organic livestock producers are also mandated to manage the animals waste to ensure that
their manure does not contribute to the contamination of crops, soil, or water.
n the depletion of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, plants increase their
production of phytochemicals, vitamins, and antioxidants, which help strengthen their
resistance to bugs and weeds. Organic foods reflect an increased amount of vitamins and
antioxidants that help prevent various medical diseases and sicknesses.
According to Satyam Organics, an organic goods and research company, state that
care and maintenance of soil and preventive farming methods like crop rotation create fruits
and vegetables that contain up to 50% more vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients than
intensively farmed foods. Experiments have confirmed that organic food contains higher
levels of vitamin C and minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, chromium,
higher levels of Omega-3, phenolic compounds, and other antioxidants that play a protective
role in heart diseases and cancers. Not only does organic produce have more vitamins,
minerals, and other important nutrients, organic foods also retain nutrients for longer periods
of time. Additionally, organic animal products are found to be richer in polyunsaturated fatty
acids that help protect against heart diseases. Organic milk is, on average, 68% higher in
omega-3 fatty acids.

Organic foods play a vital role in the developments of children and fetuses. The
advantage that organic foods provide for children and fetuses is that organic foods do not
contain synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and preservatives. Since the immune system
and brain are still developing in children and fetuses, exposure to synthetic pesticides,
chemical fertilizers, and preservatives can cause developmental delays, behavioral disorders,
and motor dysfunction risks.
Organic foods are an advantage for pregnant women since the foods do not contain
synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and preservatives, which can be passed in the womb
or through breastfeeding from mother to child. During a pregnant womans first trimester,
which is when the baby makes important developmental leaps, consuming United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic foods can be an advantage to assist in
healthy baby development.
Organic food production is a self-regulated industry with government oversight in
some countries, distinct from private gardening. Currently, the European Union, the United
States, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain special
certification based on government-defined standards in order to market food as organic
within their borders. In the context of these regulations, foods marketed as organic are
produced in a way that complies with organic standards set by national governments and
international organic industry trade organizations.