Organic food, what is it?

The European Commission has not been idle during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new biodiversity and "farm-to-table" strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system has been adopted. The "farm-to-table" strategy will enable the transition to a sustainable food system. Among other things, by releasing 25% of farmland for organic farming. You have probably heard the word organic pass by. But what is organic food?

During the production of organic food, environmental and animal welfare considerations are taken into account. Products may only be labelled "organic" if they meet certain requirements. In the Netherlands, the same requirements are applied as in the European Union for organic production. In addition, a distinction is made between organic production and organic processing. Each has different requirements.

Requirements for organic production:

• Animals are fed with organic feed.
• Work is done in an animal-friendly way:
  • Animals are given more space than in ordinary animal husbandry. So the farmer needs more square metres per animal.
    • For chickens, a maximum of 6 chickens per m2 applies.
    • For cows, there is a minimum of 6 m2 in the barn for a dairy cow and 7 m2 in the barn for a beef cattle.
    • For pigs, pregnant sows average 2.5 m2 per animal, farrowing pen is at least 7.5 m2 per sow, rearing piglets 0.6. m2 per piglet and fattening pigs between 0.8 m2 and 1.5 m2 per animal depending on weight.
  • Animals are given antibiotics less frequently.
  • Natural resistance is promoted by living conditions geared towards it.
• No genetic modification is used.
• Crops are grown on soil, not in water or artificial substrates.
• Crops that are less susceptible to pests and diseases are used.
• Crop rotation takes place, alternating different types of crops on a piece of land.
• Crops are protected with pesticides of natural origin and mechanical control. For example, creeping weeds and weeding.
• Natural cycle is maintained by spreading manure.
  • Manure is used on own land or other farmers' land.

Requirements for organic processing:

• Up to 5% of the ingredients may not be organic in organic products.
• Organic wine is 100% organic.
• No chemical colours, flavours and fragrances are used.
• Only indispensable technological E number of natural origin may be used. For example, E406 agar-agar. This is a substance extracted from algae and used as a vegetable alternative to gelatine.
• During production, as few process aids as possible are used.
• The shelf life should not be extended by the use of irradiation.

Hallmarks:

All organic products must meet these requirements, but without packaging, you cannot recognise these products as organic. That is why there are organic labels that indicate that a product is organic. The three best-known organic labels are EKO, European Organic and Demeter. The European Organic label is used for all organic products made in the European Union. The EKO and Demeter labels meet the same requirements as those of European Organic, but have additional requirements on top of that. In addition, the Demeter label is only for products produced through biodynamic agriculture.

Before the seal can be used, it is checked by Skal. Skal is an independent organisation in the Netherlands that checks that products meet organic requirements. So next time you walk in the vegetable department of the supermarket, check the organic vegetables for a hallmark. Wondering if your favourite restaurant serves organic food? If so, you'll come across the EKO hallmark-horeca.

Is organic food healthier?

Now you may ask yourself, besides being healthier for the environment, are organic products also healthier for you? The label on organic products shows that there are fewer harmful or chemical substances in them, because everything is processed in the most natural way possible. When we look purely at nutritional value of organic and non-organic food, there is hardly any difference. An organic cucumber and one that is not organic generally contain the same amount of nutrients. However, there are sometimes small differences. For instance, an organic tomato may contain more potassium and organic dairy more good fatty acids, beta-carotene and vitamin E. So organic products are just as healthy as non-organic ones.

11 reasons to choose organic food

So organic products are just as healthy as normal products, price is usually not a reason people eat organic. Organic food is on average a third more expensive than non-organic products. So why choose organic products?

1. Some organic products do contain more nutrients. These products have more vitamin C, more antioxidants and more minerals.
2. Organic products are free of neurotoxins. Neurotoxins, however, are often used to fight diseases and critters in food and protect during transport.
3. Healthy nutrition is important for children's body development. Growing children are more vulnerable to the chemicals used in non-organic products.
4. Genetically engineered products still contain substances harmful to the human body at the end product.
5. The environment is affected when non-organic products are grown.
6. Organic products are not exposed to gases or other processes that affect the ripening process.
7. A very cautious statement has been made by research institutes that organic food may possibly reduce the risk of cancer.
8. Organic farming is often done by small-scale organic farms, this keeps it possible for farmers to be independent.
9. Much non-organic meat contains antibiotics, hormones and other drugs, which we also ingest by eating it. Organic meat does not have this and takes animal welfare into account.
10. Small-scale organic production will maintain the great diversity of products.
11. Consciously choosing organic food out of respect for animals and their habitats.

So there are plenty of reasons to go for organic food anyway and that while also contributing to the environment.