Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Look at Organic Food

Aired October 29, 2002 - 06:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Organic, it's advertised as good for you and you pay a lot more for it. But are you getting your money's worth?
Lisa Drayer from Dietwatch.com is back with us from New York.

Lisa, I know there are new rules for organics, but how does that affect all of us the next time we go grocery shopping?

LISA DRAYER, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: Well, you know, Carol, it's a great thing because now when you see an organically labeled food, you will know that you're getting exactly what the term organic stands for. Up until now, if you bought an organic peach in California, it may have been grown differently than one in New York. But now there are national standards in place and so this ensures consumers that we're getting exactly what the term organic stands for.

COSTELLO: OK, so let's go through the definition of organic now.

DRAYER: Sure.

COSTELLO: So the first one is USDA organic seal tells you that a product is at least 95 percent organic. What the heck is 95 percent organic?

DRAYER: Right. What it means is that at least 95 percent of the ingredients by weight are organically grown ingredients, meaning no chemical pesticides, no chemical fertilizers and also meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are not given any antibiotics or growth hormones. So it's a very different treatment.

COSTELLO: Got you. So are they nutritionally superior to conventionally grown vegetables?

DRAYER: You know, Carol, a lot of people do think that they are and they think that that's why they're more expensive. In fact, they are not. There has been some research to show that organic produce does have more Vitamin C and more iron, but we would need to see more of this research. And moreover, we would need to study human consumption of organically grown foods to see disease outcomes, you know, to see if those who ate organic were healthier.

COSTELLO: Got you. Got you. So, are they safer, then, than normal vegetables, because, you know, you don't use the fertilizers and stuff?

DRAYER: True. The USDA is not making any claims on safety. They're not saying that they're safer. There is a reduced risk of ingesting chemical pesticides. However, the natural food supply is safe. There are levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency to make sure that we're not consuming too many of these pesticides. But, you know, wind and rain and weather conditions can carry these pesticides and they can infiltrate organically grown foods, although it tends to be very small.

COSTELLO: Got you. But there's always a catch, isn't there? So when you go to the grocery store and you see the term natural, does that mean the same thing as organic?

DRAYER: Absolutely not. Natural simply means no artificial ingredients. Animals can be called natural if there's no artificial ingredients. But animals aren't necessarily grown under organic standards. It's a different thing. Organic does imply natural. All organically grown foods are natural. But natural does not necessarily imply organic.

COSTELLO: Yes. That's like saying I have a natural hair color. Before you go, is it best to buy organic over the normal vegetables or doesn't it matter?

DRAYER: You know, it's really a personal decision. It will not necessarily make you healthier if you buy organically grown foods. But certainly knowing that you're playing a role in protecting the environment is good food for thought.

COSTELLO: That's a good way to put it.

Thank you, Lisa Drayer. We appreciate it.

DRAYER: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 29, 2002 - 06:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Organic, it's advertised as good for you and you pay a lot more for it. But are you getting your money's worth?
Lisa Drayer from Dietwatch.com is back with us from New York.

Lisa, I know there are new rules for organics, but how does that affect all of us the next time we go grocery shopping?

LISA DRAYER, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: Well, you know, Carol, it's a great thing because now when you see an organically labeled food, you will know that you're getting exactly what the term organic stands for. Up until now, if you bought an organic peach in California, it may have been grown differently than one in New York. But now there are national standards in place and so this ensures consumers that we're getting exactly what the term organic stands for.

COSTELLO: OK, so let's go through the definition of organic now.

DRAYER: Sure.

COSTELLO: So the first one is USDA organic seal tells you that a product is at least 95 percent organic. What the heck is 95 percent organic?

DRAYER: Right. What it means is that at least 95 percent of the ingredients by weight are organically grown ingredients, meaning no chemical pesticides, no chemical fertilizers and also meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are not given any antibiotics or growth hormones. So it's a very different treatment.

COSTELLO: Got you. So are they nutritionally superior to conventionally grown vegetables?

DRAYER: You know, Carol, a lot of people do think that they are and they think that that's why they're more expensive. In fact, they are not. There has been some research to show that organic produce does have more Vitamin C and more iron, but we would need to see more of this research. And moreover, we would need to study human consumption of organically grown foods to see disease outcomes, you know, to see if those who ate organic were healthier.

COSTELLO: Got you. Got you. So, are they safer, then, than normal vegetables, because, you know, you don't use the fertilizers and stuff?

DRAYER: True. The USDA is not making any claims on safety. They're not saying that they're safer. There is a reduced risk of ingesting chemical pesticides. However, the natural food supply is safe. There are levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency to make sure that we're not consuming too many of these pesticides. But, you know, wind and rain and weather conditions can carry these pesticides and they can infiltrate organically grown foods, although it tends to be very small.

COSTELLO: Got you. But there's always a catch, isn't there? So when you go to the grocery store and you see the term natural, does that mean the same thing as organic?

DRAYER: Absolutely not. Natural simply means no artificial ingredients. Animals can be called natural if there's no artificial ingredients. But animals aren't necessarily grown under organic standards. It's a different thing. Organic does imply natural. All organically grown foods are natural. But natural does not necessarily imply organic.

COSTELLO: Yes. That's like saying I have a natural hair color. Before you go, is it best to buy organic over the normal vegetables or doesn't it matter?

DRAYER: You know, it's really a personal decision. It will not necessarily make you healthier if you buy organically grown foods. But certainly knowing that you're playing a role in protecting the environment is good food for thought.

COSTELLO: That's a good way to put it.

Thank you, Lisa Drayer. We appreciate it.

DRAYER: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com