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Mark Bittman Organic Food

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Many Americans are becoming concerned that the food we are eating may be harmful to us and our family. With reports about GM (genetically modified) foods, health scares about eating beef, chemicals on food affecting people's health and the intelligence of children, it's no wonder that many are looking to organic foods as an option. In Mark Bittman, “Eating Food that’s Better for You, Organic or Not”, he expresses how sales have doubled since the federal government began certifying food as “organic” and how Americans think organic food is safer, healthier, and better for the environment.
Bittman believes most “Americans eat so badly that the organic question is a secondary one. It’s not the primary issue in the way Americans eat.” He believes …show more content…
The organic standards describe the specific requirements that must be verified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent before products can be labeled USDA organic. To become USDA Organic certified means it is free of synthetic substances; contains no antibiotics and hormones; has not been irradiated or fertilized with sewage sludge; was raised without the use of most conventional pesticides and contains no genetically modified ingredients.
Bittman states how most people believe that organic means that it is a local product, but actually it could be flown in from anywhere around the world. He goes on to explain how many farmers can’t afford the requirements to be certified organic by the government, so they usually operate local and on a small scale. Bittman says farmers argue that organic food is not a product but a way of life that is not exploiting the planet.
People want to commit to healthy eating to improve their health and lifestyle, and there are many benefits of organic foods; they are more beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their conventionally grown counterparts. Even people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives often find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat only organic

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