10 Organic Products Experts Would Never Buy
Filed under: Food, Saving Money, Health, Consumer Ally
While buying organic can be beneficial, health-conscious consumers don't have to pay extra for that label on every food or cosmetic product they buy, say experts.
Here are ten organic grocery and drugstore items experts say they wouldn't put in their carts:
1. Organic Wild Seafood a Misnomer
"Don't buy wild-caught seafood labeled organic, because there is no such thing as organically-grown wild seafood," says Jeff Cox, author of The Organic Cook's Bible. "The diet of the sea creatures can't be ascertained or controlled. Anyone selling wild-caught seafood as organic is committing fraud."
2. Smelly Veggies Are Usually Pest-Free
Cindy Burke, author of To Buy Or Not To Buy Organic, says she rarely splurges for organic onions, garlic, shallots and leeks.
"They have such a strong sulfurous smell that few pests are attracted to them -- particularly the bulb part -- so they don't need pesticides. Green onions are the exception because they are grown more for the top part and it's important that they look good, so farmers tend to spray them with pesticides."
Pests also don't like cruciferious vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, Burke adds. "They too have a strong sulfurous smell so pests don't find them very appealing. Pests are more attracted to something that is sweet, tender and juicy -- like humans."
3. Organic Junk Food Remains Junk Food
Jonny Bowden, a Ph.D, CNN board-certified nutritionist and author of 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, says the one thing he would never splurge on is "organic junk food."
"On a daily basis, I see absolutely junky cereals that are 'organic,' like organic Cap'n Crunch or organic Choco-Krispies. Just because it was made of organic ingredients -- like organically-grown wheat, organically-grown sugar, etc. -- doesn't mean it's not a high-carb, processed junk food. It annoys me to see the label 'organic' on these foods, because it is meant to imply that they're somehow good for you when all it means is that the junk food was made out of junky ingredients that were grown without pesticides."
4. Non-Organic Grains and Rice Mixes Work Fine
"For grains and products that do not include meat or dairy, it is not necessary to buy organic," says Sophia Aslanis, a registered dietitian and founder of Nutrition 4 Life. "A better alternative would be choosing whole grain items and less processed foods. Organic rice mixes that include the 'Clean 15' vegetables like sweet peas, sweet corn, eggplant and sweet onions are not necessarily worth the extra cost."
5. Save by Growing Your Own Herbs
"Growing your own organic culinary herbs is one way just about anyone, even those living in very small spaces, can save money, says Gayla Trail, Yougrowgirl.com blogger and author of Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces. "Herbs are a very cost-effective crop in that one plant can provide a very reasonable harvest over a long period of time. Mint, oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram and parsley plants purchased as small transplants and transferred to a few very large pots will start to produce small harvests in just a few weeks and keep producing over the growing season with little effort," she says.
Cilantro, basil and dill, for example, are easily grown from seed. Trail recommends eating fresh herbs during the prime gardening months and preserve the rest by freezing or drying for use during the off-season. Thyme, oregano, marjoram, chives and parsley are fairly resilient plants that will tough it out on a sunny windowsill, she says. "So you can add small snips of fresh herbs to your meals through the winter months."
6. Skip Organic Fruits and Veggies With Thick Skins
While it's better to buy organic fruits and vegetables if you can, it's okay to economize when it comes to "thicker-skinned fruits and vegetables, like cantaloupe, bananas, watermelon, squash, etc.," says holistic nutritionist Rick Schaff. "They should typically contain less contaminants once the skin has been peeled and discarded. If you choose to buy conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables, be sure to soak them in water or a safe wash solution to get rid of as many chemicals as possible."
7. Organic Moisturizers are Really Just Marketing
If you're shopping for a moisturizer, look at old-fashioned cold creams, recommends Ruth Winter, award-winning journalist and author of A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. "Cold cream, originally developed by the Greek physician Galen, consisted of a mixture of olive oil, beeswax, water and rose petals. Mineral oil is now usually substituted for olive oil, which can become rancid. Cold cream is hundreds of dollars less expensive than highly-promoted moisturizers with supposedly exotic natural ingredients wrapped up in fancy containers and a lot of hype."
"The FDA and USDA have washed their hands, so to speak, of trying to set standards for 'natural' or 'organic' cosmetics. They're stumped by natural and organic products being processed with synthetic chemicals," she says.
8. Any Mascara Brand Goes the Distance
"Mascaras don't have a heavy load of toxic ingredients and are fairly safe," says Marilyn Blackston, a board-certified otolaryngologist. "You can ditch the organic options and purchase your favorite drugstore brand."
9. Make Your Own Organic Cosmetics Instead of Buying Retail
Creating homemade beauty products is an effective way to save money on cosmetics, says Liz Thompson, founder of Organicbeautysource.com. "Olive oil makes a great cleanser for dry skin and you can whip up your own face and body scrub using organic milk and sugar. Green tea is the perfect toner for all skin types, and one cup lasts a whole week. And when purchasing organic cosmetics, remember not all products labeled 'natural' or 'organic' are created equally. Be sure to read your labels and follow brands committed to safety in cosmetics."
10. Leave Organic Parabens at the Store
Parabens, chemicals used as preservatives, are "popping up in so-called organic lotions and cleansers," says organic esthetician and chemist Kimberly Sayer, founder of Kimberly Sayer of London Organic Skincare, "If the product contains parabens, it is not organic. To identify parabens in an ingredient list, look for prefixes including methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl parabens."
9. Make Your Own Organic Cosmetics Instead of Buying Retail
Creating homemade beauty products is an effective way to save money on cosmetics, says Liz Thompson, founder of Organicbeautysource.com. "Olive oil makes a great cleanser for dry skin and you can whip up your own face and body scrub using organic milk and sugar. Green tea is the perfect toner for all skin types, and one cup lasts a whole week. And when purchasing organic cosmetics, remember not all products labeled 'natural' or 'organic' are created equally. Be sure to read your labels and follow brands committed to safety in cosmetics."
10. Leave Organic Parabens at the Store
Parabens, chemicals used as preservatives, are "popping up in so-called organic lotions and cleansers," says organic esthetician and chemist Kimberly Sayer, founder of Kimberly Sayer of London Organic Skincare, "If the product contains parabens, it is not organic. To identify parabens in an ingredient list, look for prefixes including methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl parabens."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-17-2010 @ 11:39AM
Helena said...
The writer of this article obviously has never gardened. I could not eat broccoli for several years because I decided to grow my own one year. I had more worms and webs in my broccoli plants than broccoli.
Bugs love broccoli, don't let anyone tell you anything different. It is a shame that our food is so polluted and that there are so many lies about how it is grown in order to get us to spend more.
There is NO such thing as anything being 100% organic! When is the last time you saw virgin land? Things carry in the air. If you think that the pesticide being used down the road is not traveling by air to you local grower's land that claims to be organic than maybe you should continue to pay those over priced cost on their produce.
I try to raise enough produce in the summer to supply our needs for the winter. I can or freeze what is extra. I hate having to use pesticides but on occasion I don't have a choice. You would be surprised at how much you can save by planting a few things. They taste better and are better for my family.
Not to mention the excitment of watching something grow.
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11-17-2010 @ 11:50AM
Maureen Strain said...
The point of buying organic is to support those farmers producing food without poisoning the air, water and soil. Sustainability - that's the reason!
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11-17-2010 @ 12:39PM
Liz Thompson said...
I would like to emphasize the importance of using nontoxic cosmetic products, including cleansers and other products that are immediately rinsed off of the skin. If you are just getting started with organic/natural skincare and beauty products these items are simply the ones I recommend you switch out last as they offer less exposure time to harmful chemicals. Remember to look at whether a product is free from synthetic ingredients and not just whether or not the word "organic" or "natural" appears on the label.
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11-17-2010 @ 12:51PM
Jeff said...
Not very well reasoned article. Disappointing. Next time you buy those fungicide laden bananas that your kids eat, likely without thorough washing, they'll be ingesting lots of fun chemicals too. Please research better or I delete feed.
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11-17-2010 @ 12:54PM
Emily said...
The writer refers to "coniferous" vegetables...the definition of coniferous is: Any of various mostly needle-leaved or scale-leaved, chiefly evergreen, cone-bearing gymnospermous trees or shrubs such as pines, spruces, and firs.
I believe he means "cruciferous", which is defined as "any of various plants in the mustard family (Cruciferae or Brassicaceae), which includes the alyssum, candytuft, cabbage, radish, broccoli, and many weeds".
It's hard to take an author seriously who makes mistakes like this!
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11-18-2010 @ 4:42PM
chub said...
Emily and Chair, The writer spelled the word incorrectly by inserting an (i),but he did use the word correctly...cruciferous. Also,cabbage will have little cabbage worms..if you see the white butterflies,they will lay their eggs on the cabbage.I do not spray but will use a strong spray from my water hose many times in the growing season...some will say,that's a lot of chlorine.
11-17-2010 @ 1:06PM
SKC said...
The article is a hogwash. Just because sulpher smell will retard to attract the bugs, how can you be sure that the growers are not spraying pesticides on them. Thick skins do not prevent pesticides to pentrate. I had headaches when I had not organic cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, but when I tried organic I had no problem. Pesticides are poision.
Everything should be organic, even cosmetic products.
Home grown products if possible to grow are best, but everybody cannot do.
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11-17-2010 @ 1:57PM
Stefanie said...
The whole label of organic doesn't just mean "no pesticides or sprays." It also means no genetic modification, something which the author didn't even cover. Just because a product hasn't been "sprayed" doesn't mean it can always be labeled organic. Certain fruits and vegetables are being genetically modified to where spraying is not as necessary because the genes are altered to withstand certain elements (i.e. pests, temperature, environment, etc).
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11-17-2010 @ 2:35PM
Chair said...
"Pests also don't like coniferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage..." ?! Two mis-statements in that one sentence are disappointing, alright. As others have already said, the word is "cruciferous" NOT "coniferous" (BIG difference) and bugs ADORE crucifers -as anyone who has tried growing them would know -or even bought them organic. Heard of RoundUp-Ready canola? Canola is a crucifer, if bugs didn't like it, there'd be no 'need' for the Franken-seeds.
I often find aphids in organic broccoli but it's not a turn-off (nor should it be). It just enforces my trust in the lack of pesticides in the product (and they're easily washed away). Many people are way too removed from natural state of food -there's nothing to be grossed out about with bugs in your food. There are legal concessions on how many insect parts are allowed in a jar of processed peanut butter, anyway, you may as well accidentally ingest the organic bugs, right? :)
Many of the other statements come down to dismissing the altruistic intention of buying organic. Yes, organic facial cleanser is washed away but that doesn't mean that the processes leading up to the final product aren't worth something to the environment outside of your shower.
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11-17-2010 @ 4:26PM
Chair said...
How embarrassing, I'm committing the same sort of crime:
RoundUp-Ready canola is to prepare it for herbicide (weeds) not for insect munching. What was on my mind was the crops that are genetically engineered to contain BtK -a bacterium that is toxic to insects.
lol -I guess I know how the author feels? :)
11-17-2010 @ 3:18PM
Desiree said...
wow. i can't believe how contradictory the various 'experts' in this article are of each other!
on the one hand, "If the product contains parabens, it is not organic."
but... elsewhere, "Mascaras don't have a heavy load of toxic ingredients and are fairly safe" (hello? the ONLY MAJOR BRAND with no parabens is the new Bare line by L'oreal)... and ""Frankly, almost all cosmetics are organic since they are made of either botanical or animal ingredients" which is just BULLSH*T. check skindeep. almost ALL commercial beauty products are LOADED with deadly carcinogens and unknown-danger chemicals the FDA hasn't even looked at.
this is a f*cking joke, right??
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11-18-2010 @ 8:55AM
JKD said...
I totally disagree as far as the cosmetics that "wash off," as this is kind of incorrect. Your body can absorb those chemicals in a short amount of time. To find out, there are MSDS's available online to confirm. I do buy the "organic" shampoos because they don't irritated my eyes. Look up the word "methylchloroisothiazolinone" sometime. It's in most shampoos and conditioners and is a known irritant. If you don't know what the chemical's function is after looking it up, you probably shouldn't be using it. Triclosan is another ingredient in antibacterial products that's a known carcinogen that can absorb into the skin. Happy bathing to the writer.
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11-17-2010 @ 7:00PM
Frank said...
I am 65 and we grew up with regular vegetable and tab water. Still have a my teeth. What is the difference of Organic whatever and/or decafe coffee. The spelling and the price.
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11-17-2010 @ 7:21PM
jim said...
they havent said anything about ground water contamination. non organic products dont have to have sinthetic fertilizers but all do and how high is the limit ? the same is for pesticides. Most companys put what ever they can to prevent anything from alowing there product to be rejected for pests or phisical defect. the sky is the limit on no organic products. CHECK THE RIVERS IN THIS COUNTRY
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11-18-2010 @ 12:28AM
SKC said...
I believe people do not realize how poisonous these pesticides are. May be around 10 years ago there was an accident in a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. The toxic fumes escaped from the plant and into the atmosphere. That contaminated air killed at least 2000 people, unaccountable numbrer of birds and animals. Imagine these pesticides are sprayed on fruits and vegetables. And now we hear that there is nothing wrong with pesticides. Because research scientists have said so. And therefore pesticides are permitted on foods.
If one wants to live a healthy life, one should not eat poisoned foods. Better to go hungry than to injest poison in the body.
If everybody eats all organic foods, then there wont be any pesticide plant in the world.
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11-18-2010 @ 10:49AM
Jerry said...
Okay, since anyone can be an expert the rest of us are therefore EXPERTS too! As the rightwing idolist would say. "You have the right to buy what ever you want" And I would say, "Do your own research and never trust a so called expert, because, there are so called experts everywhere and each has their own agenda!
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11-18-2010 @ 12:39PM
Patrick Moser said...
I can't belive AOL is still running this article. If you are going to trash USDA Organic Agriculture at least do it right.
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11-18-2010 @ 1:33PM
clb said...
I disagree with the writer who states that it annoys her/him that they claim that when junk food is labeled as organic, it somehow means it's good for you. Well I eat organic food to avoid some of the dangerous pesticides. If I choose organic cereal with high sugar content, I am still getting a healthier version than the non-organic brand that is high in sugar and high in pesticides. People eating organic aren't always trying to avoid sugar or junk food, we're just trying to get away from as many harmful chemicals. This person's opinion made no sense.
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11-18-2010 @ 2:12PM
Susan said...
Seems like the will print anything in the news
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11-18-2010 @ 2:24PM
ace said...
HA! fools. 1st off 20% (1 in 5) of organic food is grown in china. caveot emptor on that crap....
2nd if we didn't use pesticides and oil we would not be able make enough food to feed everyone. organic is nice and cool when your thinking of yourself, but in reality there is not enough mass production of food with out chemicals to feed everyone.
have fun when oil runs out or low enough where no one can run a tractor let alone make pesticides from it.
the only solution is to grow your own food.
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