Importance of eating organic

[Marmora]

At first I was one of those people who was like "organic food? Pfft waste of money!" thinking that the pesticide issue isn't such a big deal, but that was before I was health conscious. Now I try my best to buy mostly organic, especially after when I discovered a shocking truth about pesticides when I browsed this site: What’s On My Food? :: Pesticides On Food

Browse the site yourself. Take note of these three pesticides that are found in pretty much EVERY food: diazinon, chloropyrifos, and dimethoate. Wikipedia them if you want. The point is, they're highly toxic compounds that destroys your nervous system and they're not just found in one food; they're found in EVERY SINGLE food.

Studies have shown that these compounds increase your risk of getting Parkinson's disease: Well-Water Consumption and Parkinson

What bothers me isn't the fact that these chemicals are present, but rather, it's how ignorant the food industries are. Yes they are found is very small quantities, but what about the additive effects? Someone likes me who eats 20 servings of whole foods a day, wouldn't I be getting like 20 times the amount of diazinon AND chloropyrifos AND dimethoate AND other highly toxic pesticides into my body PER DAY? Bunch of idiots.


Who knows, maybe the rising rate of Parkinson's disease is due to these pesticides? Nobody knows, but God forbid that it is.

Sorry if you think my post is a propaganda, but it really isn't. For someone who's been eating mostly vegetables for the entirety of my life, I believe that I should be rightfully concerned about this. And everybody else should be too.

[Josie1945]

Welcome to DC.

Josie

[Fabiabi]

Thanks for putting this info up. Good to know what else is in your food and whether or not you're better off not eating it at all sometimes. I have my vegetable garden all planned out for next year

[dcSaute]

for the last thousand years or so I've been telling the "better living through chemistry" crowd - the folks pointing out how organic is no more nutritious, etc.....

"organic" is not about what is on/in your food, it's about what is _not_on/in your food.

[CWS4322]

I don't claim to grow organic, but my chickens are out on the lawn right now--a lawn that is full of dandelions, etc. I also don't use anything to fertilize my vegetable garden other than compost. Now, some of the stuff that goes into the compost was purchased, so I can't claim I grow organic. And, I don't always buy organic seeds, but I do harvest my own seeds. I also don't eat processed food or "easy because it is a mix" foods. Will it make a difference in the long run? I have no idea, but I just feel better knowing what my hens eat and how long it has been since the eggs were laid, makes me feel better (I was grossed out to learn eggs sold in grocery stores can be between 3-12 months old!!!). My greens aren't grown in "heavily fertilized sand" and they don't have a lot of dirt on them--yeah, there was a worm on my Swiss Chard yesterday--but I just didn't eat that part. And, don't forget to be certified organic, the soil also has to have been chemical free for a certain number of years.

[Uncle Bob]

Egg processors typically print dates commonly called "Code Dates" on cartons for purposes of rotating stock or controlling inventory. "EXP," "Sell By," and "Best if Used Before" are examples of terminology used for code dating. Use of code dates on USDA graded eggs is optional; however, if they are used, certain rules must be followed.

If an expiration date is used, it must be printed in month/day format and preceded by the appropriate prefix. "EXP," "Sell By," and "Not to be sold after the date at the end of the carton" are examples of expiration dates. Expiration dates can be no more than 30 days from the day the eggs were packed into the carton.

Another type of code dating used indicates the recommended maximum length of time that the consumer can expect eggs to maintain their quality when stored under ideal conditions. Terminology such as "Use by", "Use before", "Best before" indicates a period that the eggs should be consumed before overall quality diminishes. Code dating using these terms may not exceed 45 days including the day the eggs were packed into the carton.

Eggs

[dcSaute]

cw -
the whole "organic" thing predates Washington, DC and the marketeering exploiters - so one has to be aware of "whose definition of organic are we talking about?"

the original "definition" of organic growing is exquisitely simple:
(1) feed the soil, not the crop
(2) don't kill the good bugs

with public awareness and the increase in the "organic marketplace" the dummymint of course has to "define" things so consumers were not mislead by labels.

there's long lists of things one can and one cannot employ in the "organic" production of plant and animal products. if you're an organic gardener and you read the list, you'll croak at some of the allowables and wander in a 40 day daze at the absence of others.

[dcSaute]

>>Code dating using these terms may not exceed 45 days including the day the eggs were packed into the carton.

yeah, but that doesn't mean the egg packager can't take back the outdated stock, wash, inspect and repackage with yet another 45 day period.

and, btw, with exception of about half dozen things, the Feds don't regulate the sale of outdated product - and just to make everyone happier - I've not yet discovered a state that requires stores to remove product "out of date" from the shelf or from sale.

and let's not mention, the 45 days is from packaging. it has no bearing on when the egg was laid by a chicken or how long it has been in storage before being packed.

so the egg packager can't put a date more than 45 dates out on the package - but if it's still in the chain there's no requirement to not sell it or remove it from the shelf.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by dcSaute

yeah, but that doesn't mean the egg packager can't take back the outdated stock, wash, inspect and repackage with yet another 45 day period.

The commercial producer has no interest in doing this....It does not serve his self interest....They (producers) do not pick up out of date eggs from retailers...Period.

Originally Posted by dcSaute

and, btw, with exception of about half dozen things, the Feds don't regulate the sale of outdated product - and just to make everyone happier - I've not yet discovered a state that requires stores to remove product "out of date" from the shelf or from sale.

What retailer do you know that leaves out of date eggs on their shelf?? What customers do you know who would buy out of date eggs???? The Federal/State Government doesn't have/need to get involved. It is in the best interest of the retailer, along with the consumer, to "police" themselves.

Originally Posted by dcsSaute

and let's not mention, the 45 days is from packaging. it has no bearing on when the egg was laid by a chicken or how long it has been in storage before being packed.

and where do you assume a large scale commercial egg producer stores these eggs....and how??. Maybe in a large warehouse facility....Piled up on a daily basis with a front end loader???? Producers of eggs have no interest in stock piling eggs...It cost money!!! The object is to get the eggs to market ASAP...Only then do they get a pay check. A large producer up North of me has about 1,000,000 layers producing...If he picks up 700,000 eggs per day (58,000+ dozen per day...1900+ 30Dz cases per day) Can you imagine the amount of refrigerated space it would take to store these eggs?? The cost??? ~ It makes no economical sense. None!

Originally Posted by dcSaute

so the egg packager can't put a date more than 45 dates out on the package - but if it's still in the chain there's no requirement to not sell it or remove it from the shelf.

Again...No retailer gains any advantage by selling out of date eggs. ~ Again it would take a totally stupid consumer to buy them....It's called business liability and personal responsibility.

[dcSaute]

Uncle Bob -

not all producers or retailers are interested in their reputations - some are more interested in profit. if it's not illegal, they do it - and some folks don't worry all too much about the illegal bit either . . .

don't get me wrong - I'm all for more ethics, less government. (sigh), it's not going well.

about two years back there was a giant flap in the news about "reprocessing eggs" - it happens. our supermarket even had to put up a sign "None of our eggs are reprocessed"

btw, I did just trip over Florida's law - that state does not permit the sale of dairy (_only_) products past their date.

where / why do producers store their extra eggs? not all too sure, but USDA seems to think it's a problem as they've been "working" on regulations (now in force?) to require refrigeration from gathering to shelf store.
>>"Can you imagine the amount of refrigerated space..."
yeah, that is sorta' the issue - the 'refrigerated' bit - I am familiar with dry and frozen food distribution centers - the kind that count their floor space in acres . . .

not every country requires or practices egg refrigeration. the USDA is on that war path to control salmonella. countries with a smarter government require producers to vaccinate their hens and avoid salmonella issues altogether.

remember the recent egg recall - 500 million eggs - that's just the whole shell count. at one time I saw the number of days involved - don't recall - but even at the 45 day max that's 11 plus million eggs per day - and most from a single farm.... 700,000 isn't really such a big number.