Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Organic Health Food
You might have seen organic produce in the supermarket and noticed that it was more expensive than regular produce. What exactly is organic health food though and does it have a different taste? Would organic boneless chicken be worth paying more for than conventional boneless chicken?
A Guide to Organic Health Food
Organic produce is grown and processed differently. It will not have been exposed to conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, food additives, industrial waste, human waste, or ionizing radiation.
Organic livestock is reared without growth hormones or antibiotics. It is not genetically modified. Organic animals are raised on a healthy diet and are fed organic grains, which were grown in a pesticide and chemical free soil.
Organic chickens are raised in a stress free environment, in a humane manner. They get daily access to fresh air and sunshine and are allowed to roam outside in a safe and clean area. They have lots of room to move. Do not confuse organic chickens with free-range chickens though. Although free-range chickens can roam outside, the conditions are not always clean, safe or stress free. They can be fed anything the farmer decides to give them and they can be administered antibiotics or drugs.
Is Organic Health Food Popular?
Organic food used to be available only in farmer’s markets and small stores because the organic farms were small, family run ones. The production of organic food has increased about 20% a year since the early 1990s in both developing and developed nations.
In 2002, $9 billion worth of organic produce was sold in the United States. This was also the year that the National Organic Standards list was issued, which was a list containing guidelines that farmers had to follow in order to be allowed to label their produce as organic. Since April 2008, organic produce has accounted for between 1 and 2% of worldwide food sales. The British love organic health food and they import a lot of it because their farmers cannot keep up with the high level of demand.
Does Organic Food Taste Different?
The difference in flavor between meat from an organic chicken and a battery chicken is clear. There is less difference in flavor between organic chicken and free-range chicken but there is still a difference nonetheless.
Organic chickens are allowed room to roam about, so they have used muscles rather than wasted ones. They eat a better diet, have a better life, and are allowed to grow at a natural rate so it is clear that they will have a better flavor and texture. Organic farming is more labor intensive and the livestock feed is more expensive, so you should expect to pay more if you want to eat organic produce.
Imagine making a boneless chicken recipe with rich and tasty organic boneless chicken pieces and organically grown vegetables in an organic tomato based sauce. Organic vegetables are richer in both smell and flavor than conventionally grown vegetables. This would be a great recipe for the whole family and it is nice to know you are watching their health too.
