It’s no wonder we’ve been kept in the dark about our food for so long. After all, if all the pro-organic food propaganda is true, those of us still consuming conventionally-grown crops are walking repositories of pesticides and other toxins. Oh, and we’ve been cheated of nutrients and hearty flavours. Given all the evidence, surely, any day now Canadians will begin to wage a culinary crusade against those toxic delicacies that are still lurking in our kitchens.
Yeah, right. Most of us, including myself, will switch to an organic lifestyle as wholeheartedly as we follow our inevitably-neglected New Year’s Eve resolutions. And really, what’s wrong with that?
While by eating non-organic food we may miss out on dubious promises of “feeling great” and “looking fabulous,” we do not necessarily compromise our health. Let’s take the case of fruits and veggies. Organic food produce do not use additives or pesticides in growing their crops. Advocates also emphasize higher nutritional content—recent studies prove this claim—of some products, as well as a generally better taste.
But this is not the whole picture. What proponents of organic food don’t tell you is that natural toxins and bacteria such as botulism and E. coli, can appear in organic foods. How about the fact that natural veggies are susceptible to higher rates of pest damage, thereby creating pathways for aflatoxins, dangerous to our health? All of a sudden, I’m reminded of why we began spraying crops with chemicals in the first place.
A campaign recently launched in Toronto has been portraying locally-grown food as a healthy and delicious alternative. After all, it seems sensible to consume what a season’s harvest brings. But while there are many reasons for switching to a “local” diet, we shouldn’t completely discount the factor of taste. Bok choy’s seasonal availability doesn’t make it any more delicious. And let’s admit it, most of us do enjoy having a vast assortment of fruit and vegetables all year round, regardless of where they are from or how they are produced. Would I buy tasteless strawberries in the middle of winter? Sure, I’ll just dip them in some chocolate and they’re as good as strawberries can get.
So what should we remember on our next trip to the grocery store? While we should take a closer look at what we consume, it’s important to appreciate the variety of food options (organic or not) that we are fortunate to have in Toronto. Whatever our personal choice, it’s comforting to know that all products, regardless of their methods of growth, must meet the same government safety standards. As long as they are washed and prepared properly, they are not a hazard to our health. And as far as flavour goes, well, it’s just a matter of taste.
