| "Organic" has of late become such a | | | | by-product of cooking food in general. Most |
| catchphrase that it has entered the | | | | organic baby food is salt- and sugar-free, |
| vernacular of the everyday American to almost | | | | and what baby needs more of either? |
| everyday use. It's a word of which many | | | | |
| people believe they know the meaning, but few | | | | There have been recently claims that organic |
| do. A few seconds of hard contemplation | | | | baby food is lacking in iron at a 20 percent |
| produces a myriad of questions: What is | | | | clip. This can be reduced, however, by making |
| unique about organic food as opposed to the | | | | your own or feeding baby more iron-rich food. |
| garden-variety supermarket wares? And what | | | | |
| about organic baby food? Is it significantly | | | | What are the benefits? |
| different or superior? What are the benefits? | | | | |
| Can I trust the labels? Below run some | | | | Well, this is the selling point of organic |
| frequently asked questions and brief answers; | | | | product. Less salt means smaller chance of |
| just doing my part to assist in your | | | | kidney, liver or blood pressure problems. |
| education... | | | | Fewer toxins in your diet mean avoidance of |
| | | | certain industrial maladies. Preservatives |
| What is unique about organic food as opposed | | | | have been shown to be dangerous (even |
| to the garden-variety supermarket wares? | | | | potentially lethal) to your health, but only |
| | | | after occupying space in products for |
| Essentially the differences on your plate | | | | decades. Organic ingredients make it possible |
| take place in two spheres: additives and | | | | for the average consumer to understand |
| preservatives. The former can mean anything | | | | exactly what they are eating. And, once |
| that changes the quality of the food in | | | | you've experienced this phenomenon, you are |
| color, consistency, taste and | | | | unlikely to look at non-organic food labels |
| characteristics. The latter is anything that | | | | the same way again. |
| keeps food fresh for longer amounts of time | | | | |
| and is typically some sort of sodium product. | | | | Can I trust the labels? |
| | | | |
| Many additives, particularly food dyes, have | | | | This one is tricky. Just as there are |
| been attacked as toxins. A handful of dyes | | | | zillions of lobbyists and concerned citizen |
| have been made illegal on the American market | | | | action groups, there are zillions of |
| due to reasons of human health. As the | | | | corporate employees and attorneys finding |
| American diet is already dangerously high in | | | | ways around existing law. Simple research |
| sodium, there is no need for the consumption | | | | helps a lot to cut through the claims and |
| of further salts as preservatives. | | | | counterclaims. Some information may surprise |
| | | | you. |
| On the farm level, the differences become | | | | |
| even more dramatic. Organic food contains no | | | | For example, if a baby food label is marked |
| genetically modified organisms, has no trace | | | | "chicken," this means that chicken must |
| of poisonous pesticides and in grown in | | | | comprise as little as forty percent of the |
| environmentally safe soil free of chemicals. | | | | ingredients' total mass. If two ingredients |
| | | | are listed, the first need only make up ten |
| And what about organic baby food? Is it | | | | percent and in the second less is allowable. |
| significantly different or superior? | | | | It can get depressing. |
| | | | |
| Organic baby food boasts all the same | | | | The way I figure it, check the website. If |
| advantages as regular organic food listed | | | | it's loaded with flash, slippery promotional |
| above. Since baby's body is much more | | | | promises and a dearth of solid information, |
| sensitive to toxins than is an adult's, the | | | | become suspicious. In general, small is |
| benefits of avoiding additives increase | | | | better. With babies of six to nine months, a |
| substantially. The elimination of additives | | | | few vegetables and simple grain products a |
| and preservatives in organic baby food also | | | | week suffices in tandem with breast milk or |
| quite simply means that there are fewer | | | | formula - a very small amount of organic |
| ingredients to which baby may develop | | | | product to find. Plus, a large supply is made |
| allergies and that digestion of organic baby | | | | up in little time at home. |
| food is easier. | | | | |
| | | | Does organic food taste better? |
| Organic baby food is quick-cooked so that | | | | |
| fewer nutrients will be lost, an unfortunate | | | | Yes. |