Abstract
In recent years the world has seen a growing awareness of health and
environmental issues, and sustainability has become the keyword whenever
discussing economic development, particularly in relation to developing
countries. It is a constantly growing number of concerned consumers, mainly in
the industrialized countries of Western Europe, North America, Japan and
Australia, that is the cause of this development. The international community
is becoming more and more conscious of these issues, and government policies
in industrialized as well as developing countries are increasingly formulated
to encourage organic and other forms of sustainable agriculture.
Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable
resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental
quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy
products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.
Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides;
fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering;
or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled ' organic,' a
government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to
make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards. Companies that
handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or
restaurant must be certified, too.
When babies begin to eat food (a messy business), they need a good source of
nutrients to help them build a healthy body. Newborn babies live on milk
(either breast milk or formula feed) and the stored nutrients that they take
from their mothers during pregnancy. However, by the time they reach six
months, these stores have run down, and it is important that they move on to a
more -varied diet - particularly fruit and vegetables.
"Organic" refers not only to the food itself, but also to how it was produced.
Traditional farming methods mean that traces of pesticides (used to kill
insects that harm plants) are often left on much of the food we eat. Of great
concern for parents, research has shown that children are especially
vulnerable to these toxins, as their blood, kidneys and liver are not
developed enough to excrete them. Even small amounts of pesticides can damage
a child' s long-term health. As a result, more and more people are now choosing
to buy organic baby food.
Foods labeled organic must meet or exceed the regulations of the National
Organic Program (NOP), which took effect October 21, 2002. They must be grown
and processed using organic farming methods that recycle resources and promote
biodiversity. Crops must be grown without using synthetic pesticides,
bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based
fertilizers. Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and be given
no antibiotics or growth hormones. Because organic production methods
emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and
water, organic foods also appeal to environmental concerns.
A pure organic diet can be more beneficial during the first few months of life
than at any other time. Babies have immature systems and need the very purest
and safest foods. Babies eat more food per kilogram of body weight than
adults. Hence they are at a greater risk of accumulating chemical residues
from ordinary foods than adults. A baby' s organism is very fragile and
sensitive to pollutants. His/her body is not sufficiently developed to filter
them away. To protect babies, the baby food regulations set very strict
standards for the nutritional composition of the different types of food.
Thus, organic infant products have to comply with tough laws.
One of the single most important parental responsibilities is to ensure
organic food plays a major part in the baby' s diet during the early stages of
life. During this critical stage of development, cells are multiplying
quickly, but the body has a limited diet to draw upon. Immature organs and
bodily systems respond differently to food - a small child' s digestive system
is more efficient than that of an adult at absorbing foods, enabling nutrients
to be used more quickly but making children more vulnerable to toxins. It is
for this reason that baby food is covered by special legislation.
Preservatives, colorings and added salt are forbidden because babies cannot
process them with their under-developed digestive systems.
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