There is a downside to eating healthy. It is more expensive. There are a lot of reasons for the cost differential between organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables as more so from organic to processed/packaged foods. They range from the need for crop rotation, more labor, natural fertilizers, and organic certification costs.
What I believe to be the most unfortunate reason behind this cost differential is the fact that the government taxes organic foods through the certification process while chemical and food manufacturers do not go through any type of stringent approval process. This is a huge disadvantage for healthy food producers. New chemical and food additives easily circumvent the FDA's approval process by a process called GRAS or generally recognized as safe. The product coming to market is basically approved by its marketer, a gross injustice to healthy food producers and the unsuspecting consumers.
Herein lies the problem. A company can use public or private research to determine the safety of a chemical and whether or not it qualifies as GRAS. If it does pass, the FDA doesn't even have to be notified. It's a voluntary program. So basically the company who will profit from the sale of the chemical or food item is the one who stamps it as safe and they don't even have to report it. As you can see, it is very cheap and easy to bring new additives to market. Unfortunately, this has led to the rise in use of artificial sweeteners, flavors, and dyes as well as untested preservatives and other chemicals.
As you can see, there is a major disconnect when comparing the approval processes of organic products and chemically-created food additives. Organic food products must go through costly scrutiny while chemical companies have almost zero impediments in bring new formulations to market. This should not exist and we are paying for it with our long-term health while the food industry has nothing but upside.
Some may think petitioning the government for change is the best course of action. Pushing legislation is a possibility, however, the process is the way it is because of the powerful food industry and their influence on the government. The only power we have in our hands is how we choose to spend our money.
The best option we have to rectify this situation is to eat healthier, which will give organic farms the ability to leverage their fixed costs and expand their operations. This will lower overall costs and reduce retail prices. If we purchase less refined and processed foods, the opposite will happen. Profitability will decline for these products. For most companies, this is the only message they will understand. The power is in our hands to force change. We just need to utilize it.
What I believe to be the most unfortunate reason behind this cost differential is the fact that the government taxes organic foods through the certification process while chemical and food manufacturers do not go through any type of stringent approval process. This is a huge disadvantage for healthy food producers. New chemical and food additives easily circumvent the FDA's approval process by a process called GRAS or generally recognized as safe. The product coming to market is basically approved by its marketer, a gross injustice to healthy food producers and the unsuspecting consumers.
Herein lies the problem. A company can use public or private research to determine the safety of a chemical and whether or not it qualifies as GRAS. If it does pass, the FDA doesn't even have to be notified. It's a voluntary program. So basically the company who will profit from the sale of the chemical or food item is the one who stamps it as safe and they don't even have to report it. As you can see, it is very cheap and easy to bring new additives to market. Unfortunately, this has led to the rise in use of artificial sweeteners, flavors, and dyes as well as untested preservatives and other chemicals.
As you can see, there is a major disconnect when comparing the approval processes of organic products and chemically-created food additives. Organic food products must go through costly scrutiny while chemical companies have almost zero impediments in bring new formulations to market. This should not exist and we are paying for it with our long-term health while the food industry has nothing but upside.
Some may think petitioning the government for change is the best course of action. Pushing legislation is a possibility, however, the process is the way it is because of the powerful food industry and their influence on the government. The only power we have in our hands is how we choose to spend our money.
The best option we have to rectify this situation is to eat healthier, which will give organic farms the ability to leverage their fixed costs and expand their operations. This will lower overall costs and reduce retail prices. If we purchase less refined and processed foods, the opposite will happen. Profitability will decline for these products. For most companies, this is the only message they will understand. The power is in our hands to force change. We just need to utilize it.
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Please see more information at my website why artificial sweeteners are bad or this article natural claims on food label
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