What is organic? Why use organic food?

What is organic food?

Organic food is organic food known in English as organic food. Is a food that meets the certification standards of reputable organizations in the food market such as: USDA (USA), NASAA (Australia), Control Union – Is a unit that evaluates and licenses European Organic standards in Vietnam. South .

Regardless of the organic standards of any country, it is necessary to meet strict standards on: raw materials, formulas, production processes, … The ultimate goal is to ensure safety and natural and the quality of the product.

To be called organic food, the food source must meet the following 3K standards :

• No flavorings, colorings, preservatives or thickeners are used.
• No chemicals and growth hormones are used.
• No genetically modified materials (Non GMO), no sterilization irradiation…

In addition to 3K, the rigorous evaluation process of the factory, the operating process, is always evaluated and licensed every year to ensure the best quality products reach consumers.

What types of organic foods are there?

Organic foods are also divided into two categories: plants and animals.

The common point of organic food is the care process is very careful, meticulous, laborious and natural.

• Vegetables and fruits: are grown with natural fertilizers (organic fertilizers), pest control by traditional manual methods.
• Meat, eggs, milk: According to a food chain, cattle are fed organic vegetables, do not eat GMO foods , do not inject growth drugs, prevent diseases by natural means and often let loose in the wild.

Why should you choose organic food?

Why should you choose organic food?

Organic food is considered an ideal and safe food source for daily family meals.

If you think that organic food only has green vegetables, you are completely wrong. In addition to vegetables, this food also has meat, fish, eggs, milk, .. processed foods such as biscuits, cereals, .. and the special thing about these products is that there are no real additives. artificial products such as preservatives and colorants.

Not only a method of growing food without chemicals, organic food is also a farm model that helps to balance the ecosystem and preserve biological diversity. Products that want to be recognized as organic must go through rigorous testing.

Benefits of organic food?

Freshness of the product

Food is fresher because the product can only be sold in a short time, not for long because it does not contain preservatives, so the food will spoil faster.

However, because of the freshness, the nutritional content of vitamins and minerals is also 15% higher than that of conventional foods.

Safe for children’s health

Using organic food, you will limit the risk of children getting food poisoning or tolerating some toxins from pesticides that affect their later development.

According to a study in the US, more than 80% of the phosphorus in our body is found from food containing pesticides .

Therefore, organic food will ensure the safest and healthiest growth for children.

Lower nitrate levels in organic foods

Studies have shown that high nitrate levels in organic foods are 30% lower than in conventional foods. High levels of nitrates are linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, and they also affect a child’s ability to carry oxygen to cells in the body.

Organic milk and meat contain more beneficial fatty acids

Organic milk and dairy products contain higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin E and some Carotenoids than conventional products, helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Improve immune system

If normal food is injected with genetically modified substances (GMO), organic food says no to that.

This is also the reason why organic foods help keep your immune system healthy.

Protect your heart health

Animals raised according to organic standards will be grazed in the pasture, which increases the amount of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) in the animal products.

This beneficial fatty acid is an essential heart-protective nutrient and is also commonly found in breast milk and animal meat.

How is organic food different from regular food?

Organic food is more nutritious

According to the research results of Ms. Marion Nestle, the content of vitamins and minerals in organic food will be higher than in conventional food . Although it is only a relatively small amount, it is also capable of increasing the immune system, protecting the body from disease-causing bacteria and reducing poisoning caused by eating foods using chemical fertilizers.

Organic food is more nutritious

Lower nitrate levels in organic foods

Nitrates occur naturally in all foods and are an important part of the daily diet, but when nitrate levels exceed the limit, they become a toxic substance harmful to health. When eating foods with too high a concentration of nitrates, it can cause acute poisoning such as shortness of breath, cyanosis, etc. When absorbed into the body for a long time, it will convert into nitrite, a substance that causes stomach cancer and cancer. bowel letter.

Understanding that danger, the organic agriculture industry has not used chemical substances to avoid contaminating food, affecting consumers . And, studies in the US have shown that nitrate levels in organic foods are 30% lower than in conventional foods grown with chemical fertilizers.

Organic foods are not “home grown” foods.

Many people often confuse organic food with clean food or home-grown food. But in reality, these concepts are completely different. Clean foods are foods that are grown according to production processes that allow the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers at safe levels. And home-grown food cannot be called organic because this food has high requirements for quality and water source.

Organic foods are not “home grown” foods.

How to be sure it’s organic?

How to be sure it’s organic?

Understanding the benefits that organic food brings, many small stores “take advantage” of the organic label to do business in order to raise the price of products, but in fact, it only stops at clean products. So to buy the right organic food, what do you need to do?

First of all, you must go to reputable stores with clear brands to choose to buy products, avoid buying floating items, unknown origin, widely sold in the market.

On the other hand, on each standard organic food, there is a USDA stamp (certified by the United States Department of Agriculture) attached with different content depending on the organic ingredients present in that product:

– 100% organic : The product is made entirely from organic ingredients

Organic : The product contains at least 95% organic ingredients

– Made with organic : At least 70% of the ingredients are organic

Besides the common stamps commonly found in Vietnamese food, with some imported fruits, you will see it appear an organic stamp with a 5-digit code that starts with the number 9.

Check the 5-digit stamp and code on Organic food

Each type of organic food has its own regulations, grasping the above principles, you will definitely choose to buy fresh, delicious and safe organic food. Hopefully, the information that I have shared can help you better understand organic foods as well as the differences between them and conventional foods.

What is an organic certified product?

Pure ingredients

In order to obtain pure organic milk, the organic farm is also known as a “Resort” for “happy dairy cows” with extremely strict standards to ensure the best quality of organic milk. The cows are selected in the best genes and cared for, massaged, bathed, listened to music every day to stay healthy.

Organic farms are “favored” with healthy soil: no use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers or other chemicals that harm the living environment, with a mild climate and pure purified water to herd. Cows have the best growing environment.

To achieve organic certification, products must meet strict quality standards such as:

• No growth hormone

• Do not use genetically modified (non-GMO) varieties

• No antibiotic residue

And many other strict requirements.

Strict process

Not only ensuring the purest source of raw materials, organic products also have to go through “rigorous” tests on the production plant and operating process, which are evaluated and licensed every year. Thanks to such strict standards of organic certification, mothers can be completely assured of the quality and safety of products when choosing organic nutrition for their family.

Protecting the health of the family is the careful selection of foods to have a tray of quality, nutritious and safe food. Through this article, you also understand what organic food is, right? Choose organic food to protect the health of your family.

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Source: USDA

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