6 myths about organic food

MYTH #1: ORGANIC FOOD IS ALWAYS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
Organics don't contaminate soil and groundwater with pesticides and chemicals like regular farming does, but there's a surprising downside: Since organic farming is only about half as productive as conventional farming, it requires far more land to produce the same amount of food.

MYTH #2: IT'S MORE NUTRITIOUS.
Studies keep flip-flopping on this: One found more vitamin C in organic tomatoes than in conventional ones; another found more cancer-fighting flavonoids in organic corn and strawberries. But other studies haven't found organics to have a nutritional edge.

MYTH #3: IT TASTES BETTER.
Nobody has been able to tell the difference except in one study of apples, where organics came out ahead.

MYTH #4: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AS CAREFUL ABOUT WASHING IT.
All produce, whether purchased from a grocery megachain or your local organic farm, is susceptible to nasty bacteria, such as E. coli.

MYTH #5: YOU'RE SUPPORTING SMALL FARMS OR ECO-COMPANIES.
General Mills owns the Cascadian Farms brand, Kraft owns Back to Nature and Boca Burger, and Kellogg's owns Morningstar Farms, to name a few conglomerates basking in organics' glow.

MYTH #6: IT'S BETTER FOR YOU.
Not if it's organic chips, organic soda, or organic cookies.

WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT ORGANIC FOOD

IT'S MORE HUMANE.
Much of the country's organic milk and meat comes from small farms, where animals are often given more space to roam than those at larger factory farms.

IT MAY REDUCE YOUR RISK OF GETTING MAD COW.
Organic meat can't have any animal by-products in its feed, which is a primary contributor to mad-cow disease.

IT'S GETTING EASIER.
Companies like Kellogg's and Kraft are rolling out organic versions of their cereals and mac and cheese, so it's hassle-free to convince kids and boyfriends to eat it.

HOW "ORGANIC" IS IT?
Products labeled "organic" must consist of 95 percent organically produced ingredients, but products that contain only 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase "Made with organic ingredients." Read carefully.