Do I Need To Buy Organic Foods for My Child?

Many people with young children wonder if the price of organic products is “worth it”. I can’t make that decision for you, but I can help you understand what “organic” is and is not.

Organic foods are grown without the use of genetic engineering, radiation, sewage sludge, or synthetic pesticides. Organic animals must be fed only organic feed, be given outdoor access and are not given antibiotics. Organic milk is from cows that meet all of the above criteria and are not given Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH). There are studies showing that organic products have more nutritional value than others, but there are also studies that show that they don’t.

Products labeled 100% Organic contain only organic ingredients. A product labeled organic must have at least 95% organic ingredients. Washington state as well as several others, have had organic standards for many years. There is now a federal organic standard, the symbol is a circle with the words “USDA ORGANIC” stacked in black type.

There have never been studies on the health effects of pesticides and children. Our government has set some upper limits for some pesticides, but these are for adults. But we do know that young children (birth-age 3) take in more food per pound of body weight than adults because children are in an extremely rapid growth period. We also know that young children’s immune systems are still developing and strengthening. For these reason, some people choose to use organic products when their children are young.

To help you make a decision I recommend “Food News”, produced by a nonprofit called Environmental Working Group. Their web site is www.foodnews.org. Check out their report card on pesticides. It will give you a current list of the foods that have the most and least pesticides. For many of us, avoiding the worst pesticide offenders or purchasing the organic product gives us peace of mind. It also saves the money and time that may be involved in purchasing all organic products.