Organic Food Risks
Does organic food go off more quickly?
There's no reason why fresh organic produce should go off more quickly. There are certain waxes that are used on apples and oranges to prevent air getting to them and making them go off quickly. Non-organic waxes aren't allowed and at the moment there aren't really that many organic waxes around. As such, organic oranges and apples may go off a little bit quicker because they haven't been subjected to this waxing. Having said that, non-organic food can be stuffed full of preservatives that are bad for us, such as aspartame, hydrogenated fat. These non-organic preservatives are being linked with health problems and we don't allow any of those in organic food. However, there's no reason why fresh organic produce should go off quicker.
Are there any risks associated with organic food?
There are no risks with organic food. In fact it's more the converse really. There are more risks associated with non-organic food because it's doused in pesticides and artificial fertilizers, and there are links with cancer, male fertility and abnormal fetal development.
How can I be sure that my food is genuinely organic?
To be sure your food is genuinely organic, look for the UK code. You can look for the certification code of an organic certification body -- there are about ten in the UK. The Soil Association is the largest organic body and our UK code is UK5. People might recognise our symbol, which is like the three-pronged starfish. It's not a legal requirement for the company to display the symbol, but it is a legal requirement for them to display the UK code for organic food. For example, on tomatoes, the label to show they are genuinely organic is very small. Thus, you might not see the symbol, but you would see 'Organic UK5' and you would know that it's certified as organic produce.
Can you still get salmonella or e-coli from organic food?
There's no reason why you should get salmonella or e-coli from organic food more than non-organic food. It depends on the cooking of the food. There was a case in the late 90s where some organic mushrooms were found to have some e-coli, but it was actually proved that it was a laboratory had caused the contamination; it was an error, so it actually never occurred.
