Organic Food Controversy

Concerns about the possible emergence of health risks and environmental impacts of conventional food production encourages the trend of organic food is increasing rapidly and spread to various parts of the world, including Indonesia. The main purpose of organic production is to produce healthy food in a healthy environment that provides positive effects for humans and nature.

Generally, consumers buy organic food products because they think the product is safer, more nutritious, and more healthful. But is it so?

Superior
Organic farming uses fewer chemicals than conventional farming. It is known that residues of hazardous chemicals can be left in the food that when consumed can accumulate in the body and cause disease someday. In this case of organic food is clearly more secure.

Various studies show organic food is likely to contain pesticide residues have smaller than conventional food. Levels of pesticide residues in organic food is also lower compared to conventional foods.

Organic foods contain more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can boost immunity and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Organic food also had an acceptable microbiological quality.

Market of organic products continues to increase to an indication that the product is safe.

The advantages of organic food lies not only in what it contains, but the way production was also beneficial for maintaining the ecological environment, enhance biodiversity, energy conservation, minimize loss of soil nutrients and boost productivity, reduce ground water pollution, and minimize the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Not superior
For many organic food customers, the word "organic" is synonymous with "safe". However, it is important to explain that only the organic label indicates that the products are manufactured, processed, and handled organically. The label is not a claim that the product is safer or more nutritious.

Indeed, organic food had higher levels of residues of agrochemical substances are lower than with conventional food, but its significance is still questionable distinction. Levels of pesticide residues in organic foods is lower than conventional food, but this does not mean pesticide-free organic food. Some experts believe the number of pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits conventional cause health risks are very small, even negligible. According to the National Research Council in the U.S., pesticide residues in conventional food are not to cause increased risk of cancer.

Which should be more concern is the risk of microbiological. Organic crops have the same susceptibility to bacteria like other plants. They were equally likely to be a nest of dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157: H7, and Campylobacter. Various cases of outbreaks in various countries originated from organic products.

There has been no conclusive scientific evidence that shows that organic food is more nutritious when compared to conventional foods. There are many factors that influence the levels of nutrients such as freshness, storage conditions, crop varieties, soil conditions and weather, feed, and processing methods. Heating, for example, can lower nutritional value, both on organic foods and conventional foods.

However, various studies show that the way organic crops contain polyphenols, an antioxidant substance, is higher. However, toxin (toxic substances) naturally such as alkaloids, glikoalkaloid, furanokumarin, and mycotoxins such as aflatoxin and fumonisin are also potentially present in higher levels.

Organic farming initially involve small farmers and local distribution. There is an assumption that buying organic products helps farmers with small or environmentally friendly companies. However, the business of organic products increases rapidly with the value of billions of dollars, as a result of organic food to be relatively expensive, because large companies are more oriented to profit.*** [AKHMAD TAUFIK | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 21072011]