WHEN DOES IT PAY TO BUY ORGANIC? BEWARE OF THE "DIRTY DOZEN"

Plant crops are considered organic when they are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or sewage sludge... and are not genetically engineered or irradiated to combat bacteria and insects. They cost from 10% to 40% more than their nonorganic counterparts.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit research organization, has developed a list of the 12 conventionally farmed fruits and vegetables most laden with pesticides. Organic is well worth the higher price for these -- apples, bell peppers, carrots, celery, cherries, grapes (imported), kale, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, pears and strawberries.

If you do buy a nonorganic food from this "dirty dozen," wash it thoroughly before eating. Also, discard the outermost leaves of leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, especially with nonorganic produce. EWG also has determined which conventionally farmed foods usually are low in pesticide residue. To save money, you can skip organic versions of these -- asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, kiwifruit, mango, onion, papaya, pineapple, sweet corn, sweet peas, sweet potato, tomato and watermelon.

Helpful: To print a wallet card of these lists, go to www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php. Or just remember this rule of thumb -- if you eat the skin (like an apple), buy organic... if you peel the skin (like an onion), conventional is okay. Not all of EWG’s recommendations fit this guideline, but most do.

THE WORD ON EGGS, MILK & MEAT

For any animal product to be considered organic, it must come from animals given a diet of organic feed. This means that the feed was grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, preservatives or sewage sludge... was not genetically modified or irradiated... and contained no animal byproducts. Organic feed is expensive, so organic animal products often cost more than twice as much as nonorganic.

Organic eggs come from hens that have some outdoor access instead of being constantly confined to cages... and have not been treated with antibiotics or hormones. Organic eggs are readily available in supermarkets. Are they worth paying double? It’s a personal decision.

Milk labeled organic is free of genetically modified recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). Though the FDA says there is no difference between organic and nonorganic milk in terms of effects on health, some research suggests a link between rBGH and hormone-related cancers, such as breast, ovarian and uterine cancer. For that reason, organic milk is a safer choice for young children, whose growing bodies are more susceptible to hormonal effects... people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly... and those with a chronic illness.

With meat, poultry and fish, organic means that the animals received no antibiotics or growth hormones in the last 12 months. These items often are difficult to find and are the most expensive of the organic products. Many consumers are reassured to know that organic beef comes from cows that were not fed ground-up animal parts, as nonorganic cows sometimes are -- because some research links this practice to the human form of "mad cow" disease. However, there has been only one known case of the disease in the US, and that occurred in a person who had eaten beef overseas.

Are organic meat, poultry and fish worth the inconvenience and expense? If you feel strongly about supporting more humane treatment of animals and protecting the environment from pesticides, your answer may be yes. Visit www.greenpeople.org/organicmeat.html for a list of sellers in your area who carry organic meat, poultry and fish.

"Organic" vs. "Natural"

Food labels can be confusing. As you shop, keep these terms in mind...

100% organic means just what it says.

Organic means that at least 95% or more of the ingredients must be organic.

Made with organic ingredients signifies that at least 70% of the ingredients are organic.

Natural does not mean organic. In fact, it has no standard definition so there’s no point in paying more for a food just because it claims to be natural.

Bottom Line/Women’s Health interviewed Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, Paulette Goddard Professor in the department of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University in New York City, and author or coauthor of numerous books, including What to Eat (North Point).