in the 1950s, agriculture was meant to feed and meet the needs of Europe's population.
So all technologies turned in one direction: the increase in productivity with all that this entails (chemical derivatives, hormones, automation, synthetic fertilizers, etc.).
Over the years, consumers as well as producers have become aware of the importance of the environment. They began to create new ways of farming, what is known today as organic farming.
What are organic products
The term "organic" or "organic" refers to those products that are produced without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers or other hormones. This form of organic production that came into effect on August 5, 2009 relies on natural rather than chemical processes. The use of chemicals (eg fertilizers, drugs, hormones) or other protective products, which are usually used to treat diseases and microorganisms, is avoided.
The category of organic food products includes:
Fresh fruit and vegetables cut the day before or the same day
Bread and pastries, toast and flour
Dairy products such as fresh cow's and goat's milk. Also yogurt, kefir and sour milk cheeses, children's yogurts with fruit, Roquefort, cream milk Olive
oil, grapeseed oil, olives, olive paste
Fresh beef, pork, chicken and turkey Fish
Cold
meats such as ham, prosciutto, mortadella, bacon, parizzaki Tomato
products such as tomato juice , tomatoes, sun-dried tomato
Frozen vegetables such as pies, pizzas, dough products, pie crust and ice cream
Eggs
Rice and pasta in a wide variety
Honey in various varieties, carob honey, royal jelly, pollen, propolis, beeswax Jams
, spoon sweets, chocolates
Nuts
Vegetarian products, tofu, soy products
Bottled and bulk
wine Legumes (lentils, broad beans, chickpeas, chickpeas, green lentils, red beans , black, black-eyed, soybeans)
Plant-based milks of soy, rice, almond, oat, hazelnut, chestnut, walnut
Cereals (wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, oatmeal, couscous, trachanas)
Snacks (cakes, cookies, waffles, crackers , breadsticks, chewing gum, candies, rice wafers, corn wafers croissants, crisps, wafers)
Fruit and vegetable juices
Herbs and healing herbal juices, elixirs, salep, dietary supplements
Organic products, definitely healthy!
Compared to conventional products, organic products are much healthier because no hormones, fertilizers, vitamins or antibiotics were used in their cultivation, i.e. interventions that are outside of their normal life.
The nutrients provided by an organic product can be taken in whole, without the corresponding intake of chemical residues. They are safe for our health and do not have residues of fertilizers and pesticides which, possibly cumulatively and in the long run, can cause a lot of health problems, especially for children.
They also show a reduced concentration of nitrates, components whose increased intake has been associated with the occurrence of stomach cancer. Research has shown that approximately 70% of the nitrate ions taken in by the average consumer comes from vegetables and a significant percentage from water.
What a study on organic products showed
The largest study ever made on organic products was carried out by the European Union. It is called Quality Low Production Factor Food and concluded that:
organic foods are much more nutritious than conventional foods they contain up to 40% more antioxidants organic milk contains 90% more antioxidants They also contain more vitamins, nutrients, trace elements around 20-30% by weight compared to conventional which have a higher water content.
A report given in 2001 in England by Heaton and his colleagues stated that organic foods, in addition to vitamin C, also contain an increased concentration of some essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium. It also reported that lycopene in tomatoes, cetaceans in apples and polyphenols in potatoes were elevated compared to conventional products.
Organic products are tastier and smell better
They are tastier and more fragrant and are grown with methods that are much more environmentally friendly.
Many times, organic products are more "ugly" than conventional ones. This is because there is little or no external intervention to improve the shape and color of fruits and vegetables.
What to look out for when buying organic products
Consumers should be very careful when buying organic products.
They must prefer packaged foods and bear the label that they are products of organic farming. Bulk organic products are only sold in organic markets and in stores dealing only with organic food. Vegetables and fruits must only be sold in season. The certification body's certificates for the quantity, date and type of each batch of production Attention to monkey organic products. Traditional products are not always organic unless there is an indication that they are products of organic farming.
In conclusion, we can say that products grown without chemicals, without fertilizers and in healthy soils are much more nutritious. Scientific research has proven it and the opposite is now very difficult to support.