Russ Parsons totally rocks.
The Los Angeles Times food writer is a tell-it-like it is kind of guy. And when it comes to the whole organic food movement, well, he's not so impressed. He shares why.
I met Russ a few months ago after he gave a talk at Longwood Gardens and walked away even more impressed with his whole philosophy of cooking, writing and eating.
Russ Parsons totally rocks.
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The label may not guarantee "quality or taste", as Parsons puts it, but those farms who earn the USDA certification meet some serious qualifications that mean a lot more to me than HIS notions of "quality" and "taste".
Maybe he personally knows some fantastic farmers who raise/produce quality food in *his* area, but as someone who lives on the opposite coast and doesn't have his connections, I don't have the luxury he does. And based on my own experience, there is NO better guarantee of taste or quality than the USDA organic certification.
The fact remains that there is no other current designation in the law that guarantees regular inspection for quality than the USDA Organic label. How often do we read horror stories of the FDA not inspecting the food we are regularly sold? And when was the last time you read about a food product/item designated "USDA Organic" that was recalled? I can't remember a single one, and I watch that sort of thing VERY closely, owning cats who subsist completely on canned food!
My husband and I decided more than a year ago to stick with organic foods whenever they're available (and that means purchasing meat and other things online when not locally available), and we couldn't be happier.
To post that link without a serious dicussion of what the "organic" label means and what it guarantees is a grave disservice to readers here. I would hope for better, even from a blog.
Russ Parsons may "rock", but I'm not going to him for advice on food safety and quality here in Delaware. He can get back to me once he moves here and explores OUR food options. And you should remember your audience.
This is a pretty ignorant, one-sided blog post. All you are doing is perpetuating the idea that organic foods are supposed taste differently from traditionally raised foods. That's not what organic means.
For people out there who don't know, the very basic idea of organic food is that it is produced without the use of harsh chemical additives, like pesticides, herbicides, etc.
That's just a super basic description, but nowhere will you read that a standard for anything organic is that it tastes better than chemical-laden produce.
Truly, that all depends on the farmer, the conditions, and the season.
Although I can't speak for the masses, I do believe that people who choose organics are doing it to limit the amount of toxins they are consuming and/or limit the toxins going into our environment. That's really a good reason to make the switch.
I also think that if you gave people the choice between two apples, one organic (read: chemical-free) and the other covered with synthetic pesticides. I think it would be safe to say people would want the apple that doesn’t require a HAZMAT team to clean it.
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