Organic food- do you believe in it?

DublinWriter

kizzyr wrote:

Isn't it funny that when you describe a childhood like now most people think you've lifted it straight out of Enid Blyton:)

With lashings and lashings of (organic) Ginger Beer.

'Organic' is basically a marketing term. I tend to let my taste buds guide me. For example the rich flavours of a Ballanun/Irish Apple Company/Copella apple juice taste so much better to me than a Tropicana/Squeeze chemically simulated 'apple' juice.

And the reason organic chicken seems more expensive is because the weight hasn't been made up by water.

marcsignal

Jimoslimos wrote:

Hydrogen cyanide is a naturally occuring chemical (doesn't make it good for you though )

Yes that's right, didn't Entomoligsts of old used to put Laurel Leaves in the bottom of a closed jar and then leave it in the sun to 'sweat' the Hydrogen Cyanide out ? they would then trap insects in the same jar killing them without damaging the body for their display cases ?

or something like that ??

sorry i'm drifting off the subject totally here.:)

brianthebard

DublinWriter wrote:

Organic is purely a very emotive term when it comes to food and can be/is used for some pretty dodgy marketing practises. For example, what exactly is the difference between regular honey and organic honey? Free-range bees?

Not many people know that monosodium glutamate is a naturally occuring substance, therefore it's 'organic'.

Eh no, sodium glutamate is naturally occuring, monosodium is a different chemical, and most certainly not organic.


If people find organic food too expensive, look for free range. In dunnes at the minute there's 25% off organic food this week (don't like to advertise them, but there you go) and their free-range chicken fillets are only about 50c dearer than the same battery hen alternative.

kizzyr

DublinWriter wrote:

With lashings and lashings of (organic) Ginger Beer.

'Organic' is basically a marketing term. I tend to let my taste buds guide me. For example the rich flavours of a Ballanun/Irish Apple Company/Copella apple juice taste so much better to me than a Tropicana/Squeeze chemically simulated 'apple' juice.

And the reason organic chicken seems more expensive is because the weight hasn't been made up by water.

You just can't beat Enid can you:D
I agree with you up to a point. If people see the word organic on their food they are convinced that they are eating really well and are super healthy without looking any further. What I was really getting at though was my experience of home grown foods with nothing added to them tasted nicer than a lot of the stuff that we see in our supermarkets now that are all perfectly shaped and glossy.

The Sweeper

Organically produced food isn't necessarily more healthy than food produced using pesticides. The choice to eat organically prepared food shouldn't be led by the misconception that there are somehow more vitamins in this leaf of lettuce than that one.

I strive for as much organically produced food as I can access affordably. It's not necessarily because I think it's healthier. Basically, I believe the use of chemical pesticides only came into force because of the food needs post World War II and nowadays there is really no need for the excessive hyper production of food that occurs in Western Europe.

Pesticides can contaminate ground water, endanger marine life and in some cases directly endanger people. They also work in a similar way to anti bacterials, creating more and more resilient strains of the things they're supposed to kill. I buy organic food because I support the sustainable farming practices involved and the higher respect for animal welfare. I also buy it because higher demand generates higher supply and I hope to be able to buy more and more locally produced goods.

This is not an entirely altruistic goal.

I won't buy apples that have been grown in New Zealand. Why the hell should I have to worry about the prospect that my ability to travel the world will be restricted when public air travel is limited due to atmospheric pollution when people think they need to fly apples to Western Europe from New Zealand?

Oh - and the deal with organic honey is supposed to involve apiaries positioned on land that is certified organic so that the bees aren't collecting pollen from plants treated with chemical pesticides. There also restrictions on the insecticides that beekeepers can use to keep bee-unfriendly insects away from hives.

ScumLord

I've done the Reps course (organic farming) I don't have or ever intend to have a farm I got roped into it. Organic farming does make a huge difference not only to your food, the standard of living of the animals but it's also good for wildlife and the general health of this country. Organic farmers have to run their farm a certain way, including making wildlife corridors (I think their called) to create habitats for wild animals, after doing the course and seeing the way non-organic farms are run I think all Irish food should be organic. Which is the way it's going.

I think it's hard for people who live in a city to fully comprehend how food gets to their table and just how farming effects the country. Like it's already been pointing out farming one way over another affects more than just the taste of the food.

greenkittie

Screw this organic crap.. Genetically modify all the food and end world hunger.

Tar.Aldarion

My small gods! You genius!