Organic Food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organic Food - Essay Example The consumption of organic food has increased owing to the fact that people consider it to have a better taste. It is also believed to be environment friendly owing to the lack of chemicals used in its plantation. Studies have analyzed the fact that organic food consist of a greater amount of anti-oxidants in comparison to the conventional foods. It has also been proved that organic foods do not have traces of chemicals on them. Organic foods have a few drawbacks as well. These include the fact that they rot at a fast pace owing to lack of usage of preservative chemicals. They are also expensive in comparison to the conventional foods. The break out of salmonella disease in the United States owing to the consumption of organic peanuts also raised doubts about the credibility of organic foods. Studies have also claimed regarding the lack of strong benefits of organic foods. Despite of this, further studies and researches have proved that organic foods are beneficial. It is believed th at to prevent disease with organic foods, regulatory bodies should be made strict to check the production of these foods. Organic Food Every individual in today’s world has become health conscious and is aware of the fact that healthy eating and lifestyle changes can result in the promotion of good health. This has led to the encouragement of food choices that serve to enhance the health status of an individual. Organic food has been an essential part of this health conscious drive. According to the Department of Agriculture in the United States, organic food is that food which â€Å"is generally free of synthetic substances; contains no antibiotics and hormones; has not been irradiated or fertilized with sewage sludge; was raised without the use of most conventional pesticides; and contains no genetically modified ingredients.† The organic food was officially recognized and permitted in the United States in the year 2002. This food was originally classified to be more nutritious and healthy for the consumers. But researches were conducted to rebut this claim and to signify the fact that there is no added benefit by the consumption of these foods (Bittman 2009; Severson et al 2009). The subject of organic food has been central to many arguments as there are claims by the producers of these foods that they are beneficial for the health of the people but this has been strongly disagreed upon by a few researchers. The organic food industry has been booming in the United States at a very fast pace. It has been seen that the sales of the organic foods has increased from 11 billion dollars in 2001 to 20 billion dollars in the year 2009. In the year 2006 alone 16.7 billion dollars were achieved from the selling of organic drinks and edibles. Furthermore, a survey conducted by Harris in the year 2007 highlighted the fact that approximately 30 percent of Americans purchase and consume organic food at some point. The survey further elaborated the fact that it was a strong belief of most of the Americans that organic food is better than the conventional food. The American first lady, Michelle Obama also created an initiative for the promotion of organic foods. She started a small plantation of organic foods in the White House to support the increased usage of organic foods for the promotion of healthy eating habits amongst the Americans (Bittman 2009; Severson et al 2009). Organic food has become a top choice owing to many factors. Many people prefer to consume organic food owing to the consideration that organic food is of a greater nutritive value in comparison to the non-organic food. The restricted use of pesticides for organic foods is also considered to be an added point. This is owing to the fact that pesticides are used for the