How Now, Mad Cow?

Editor's Update: Americans may well be motivated to eat more healthy, organic vegetables and less meat following the discovery of the first U.S. case of "mad cow" disease in the brain of a dairy cow whose meat had already been distributed to supermarkets. After the recall of 10,000 pounds of beef on Christmas eve, the US Department of Agriculture quickly announced changes intended to bolster consumer confidence. The big picture that needs to be addressed, however, is our nation's pervasive lack of adequate food safety oversight, which allows all sorts of contaminated foods to come to market.

The USDA's organic food label remains the all-around top choice in food certification, providing clear standards and third-party verification and supported by research showing that organic agriculture is better than conventional both for the environment and your health. Consider that conventionally grown fruit and vegetables can be coated with the residues of as many as 51 different pesticides, while organic has two thirds less. Meanwhile, other good labels are on the rise: "Locally Grown," "Integrated Pest Management" (IPM) for pesticide reduction and "Marine Stewardship Council" (MSC) for sustainably fished. Movements like Slow Food and France's "geographic indicator" regional labels help preserve heirloom animals and seed lines, maintaining genetic diversity.

Top 10 Fruits & Vegetables to Buy Organic

In January 2003, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that American children had up to twice the levels of many pesticides in their bodies as adults. But eating organic limits exposures. Last March, a University of Washington study showed that children fed organic diets had one sixth the level of metabolized organophosphate pesticides as those fed conventional foods.

If you want to reduce your family's exposures, pick up organic varieties of these most contaminated "top ten":

Fruits: Peaches, Apples, Strawberries, Nectarines and Pears.

Vegetables: Spinach, Bell Peppers, Celery, Potatoes and Hot Peppers.

Less-contaminated conventional foods include blueberries, plums, avocado, radishes and broccoli.

Animal Products

Feedlots that crowd cattle provide ideal conditions for spreading pathogens like salmonella, listeria and E. coli. Last year alone saw the nation's second-largest beef recall and third-largest poultry recall. Yet antibiotic-laced feed, given to combat illness, promotes resistant strains. Last summer, the U.S. halted Canadian beef imports upon news of mad cow disease. Yet the U.S. still allows cattle feed to include cattle blood and other animal protein, even though feeding ruminants to ruminants has been shown to transmit this disease. Happily, the USDA's National Organic Program stipulates that organically raised animals cannot be fed animal products or dosed with antibiotics or hormones. Since studies show dioxins concentrate in meats, animals not fed animal products should have lower levels of this toxin too. In addition to products labeled "organic," also look for the Free Farmed label, which promises healthy, species-appropriate conditions for animals.

A Caution on Farmed Fish: There are no U.S. standards for organic aquaculture, and many farmed fish contain higher levels of pcbs and dioxins, and have harmful environmental impacts. Farmed salmon also has added dyes and many stores label it as "color added."

Wild Complications

In the Iraq appropriations bill, Alaskan senators tacked on an amendment allowing wild Alaskan salmon to be labeled "organic" even though the label is intended for agricultural products. When the federal standards for organic food were issued, the National Organic Standards Board had refused to include wild salmon. Although we like wild Alaskan salmon for other reasons, there's no knowing what it's been eating.

Products

Diamond Organics (www.diamondorganics.com; 888-674-2642): Fruit and Vegetable ($54) and Salad samplers ($39)

Simply Grazin' Organic Farms (www.sforganic.com; 609-466-8504): Beef (Sirloin $10/lb), Ham ($9/lb), Chicken ($4.50/lb), Eggs ($4/doz.)

Totem Smokehouse (www.totemsmokehouse.com; 800-9SALMON): Smoked wild salmon ($22.95/8 oz.)

See downloadable pocket guides and product reports on fish, meat, milk, poultry and eggs at thegreenguide.com.

Resources

Consumers Union (see www.eco-labels.org for more information on labels)

Environmental Working Group (see www.foodnews.org)

Organic Trade Association (www.ota.com; 413-774-7511)

Slow Food USA (www.slowfoodusa.org; 212-965-5640)

USDA National Organic Program (www.ams.usda.gov/nop/)