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Organic Infant Milks and Toddler Foods - what are the benefits? |
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The information in this article is correct at date of publication: March 2009
Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the publisher or editiorial staff.
The term “organic” describes a method of food production and farming systems. However, for many individuals and organisations it amounts to more than this - a philosophy, a “movement” or even a “religion”. As consumers are more aware than ever of the benefits of choosing organic products we take a look at how this affects Infant Milks, Toddler Foods and their ingredients. With the possibly surprising insight that manufactured baby foods such as Cow & Gate’s meet or sometimes exceed the standards of organic.
Organic is a term defined by law, so any food that is labelled as organic must comply with the strict standards set by EU legislation. Organic foods are those that have been produced using an environmentally friendly approach to farming. It makes use of crop rotation, environmental management and animal farming so to avoid the use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides, antibiotics and additives1.
Organic production systems are designed to produce optimum quantities of food of high nutritional quality by using management practices which aim to avoid the use of agrochemical inputs and which minimise damage to the environment and wildlife2 .
Foods certified organic have not had any pesticides used in the production of the ingredients.
Legislation
What are the laws covering organic food production?
Organic food production is controlled by legislation. In 1991 the EU passed Regulation 2092/91, which lays down in detail how organic food must be produced, processed and packaged to qualify for the description ‘organic’. This was followed in 1999 by EC Regulation 1804/1999 which covers livestock production (meat, eggs, poultry and dairy production).
In the UK these Regulations are enforced by the Organic Products Regulations 1992 (Statutory Instrument 2111) and its subsequent amendments.
How is the law policed?
Organic legislation is monitored throughout the EU by organic certification bodies. These bodies are responsible for ensuring that:
- Anyone who wants to produce organic food understands the legislation and has the necessary procedures and systems in place
- Organic food products contain only permissible ingredients
There are 7 pesticides approved for use in UK organic farming, this is compared to 447 allowed to be used in non-organic farming. But in organic farming they can only be used in exceptional circumstances.
There are no maximum limits set on pesticide residues in organic foods, as they are generally not allowed to be used in organic farming. The Pesticides Residues Committee test foods for levels of pesticides in a range of foods. Results from their 2005 and 2006 annual reports showed that the number of baby food samples containing pesticides was less or equal to the number of organic food samples that contained pesticides.
Do products have to be totally organic?
The Organic Products Regulations 1992 divides organic multi-ingredient foods and drinks into two categories depending on the proportion of organic ingredients present.
Category 1 – Organic
Product contains a minimum of 95% organic ingredients by weight. Product can be labelled ‘Organic’ e.g. Organic Cornflakes
Category 2 – Special Emphasis
Product contains 70-95% organic ingredients by weight. Product can be labelled ‘Made with Organic Ingredients’ e.g. Tomato Ketchup made with Organic Tomatoes
The Organic Consumer
People buy organic food for many reasons, but the two that stand out are:
- The perception that organic food tastes better
- The perception that organic food is better for you than non-organic food
Environmental protection does not appear to be important to most UK consumers. This is in contrast to the situation in Denmark, where 75% of organic consumers cite the environment and animal welfare as reasons for purchasing organic food.
The Organic Market
Organic food has in the past been one of the fastest growing retail sectors in the UK due to:
- Consumer concerns for safety
- Concerns over genetic engineering of food
- Concerns about the environment and animal welfare
- Positive health associations of ‘pure and natural’
However this growth has tailed off recently as the benefits have been hard to appreciate against a much higher price.
There have been a number of organic baby foods enter the market but these have been niche and their appeal is limited by the impossibility of including important components such as LCP’s and prebiotics in an organic food.
What process must be followed in order for a food product to be labelled as organic?
In order to be sold as organic, foods must originate from a registered organic farm, processor and importer which have been accredited with organic status by an approved certification body. They are then subject to yearly inspections; where they must meet the strict regulations set by certification bodies, which include for example the Soil Association3.
A food can be accredited with organic status when the farm has undergone a 2 year conversion which ensures that the soil is fully organic and no artificial chemicals are found within it.
Organic farming practices are strictly regulated by EU Regulation 2092/91 and Organic Products Regulations 2004. These set the legislation on organic standards, and they govern all aspects of organic farming. The standards which need to be complied by in the UK are the Compendium of UK Organic Standards4.
What this means to Baby Foods and Infant Milk Formula
How does Organic baby food differ to non-organic baby food?
The quality of baby foods and the use of pesticides is strictly regulated – minimum quality standards detailing what can be added to baby foods (organic and non-organic) are set by the ‘Processed-Cereal Based Foods and Baby Foods for Infants and Young Children Regulations 2003’.
The maximum amount of a pesticide residue that is allowed to be in any baby food product is 10 parts per billion, that’s equivalent to...
- 10 pinches of salt in ten tonnes of chips or…
- 10 tsp of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool full of water
As we show above, tests on baby foods like Cow & Gate show that residues are actually lower than in organic foods.
Baby milks and weaning foods are unique, in that strict legislation exists which controls their composition.
- Baby milks legislation: Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations 1995 (Statutory Instrument 77)
- Weaning foods legislation: Processed Cereal-based Foods and Baby Foods for Infants and Young Children Regulations 1997 (Statutory Instrument 2042)
An organic baby milk or weaning food has to comply with both product-specific legislation and organic legislation, meaning that their composition is even more tightly controlled.
What standards do Cow & Gate comply with?
We have strict standards and regulations to abide by in order to be recognised as producers of baby food. Baby foods must comply by the Processed Cereal-based Foods and Baby Foods for Infants and Young Children (England) Regulations 2003. This sets the maximum levels of pesticides allowed in these foods at 10 parts per billion, which is virtually non-existent!
Cow & Gate works closely with farmers who produce our baby-grade vegetables and fruit, which are grown specifically for babies. We test the soil, bark and even the leaves on the trees as our fruit and vegetables grow which are then carefully washed and spot-checked before use.
This also means we are able to trace every single vegetable in every single jar back to the field it was grown in, or every fruit back to the orchard it was grown in.
Is organic food nutritionally superior to baby food?
Non-organic baby food is as good a choice as organic baby food from a nutritional perspective. The Food Standards Agency states that both organic and conventional foods must meet the same legal food requirements and that there is no clear evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or safer than non-organic5. Nor is there any evidence that organic baby food tastes better than non-organic.
The British Nutritional Foundation and British Dietetic Association also say that the nutritional benefits of eating organic foods is not clear with no concrete evidence existing on the relative nutritional superiority6,7. What’s important is food choice and taste of the specially tailored baby food.
Are there any benefits from organic foods which Cow & Gate products cannot match?
As above, there are no nutritional advantages to eating organic baby foods; additionally the level of pesticides allowed in our baby foods is barely traceable.
Why are Cow & Gate milks not organic?
Cow & Gate infant formula milks provide complete care for babies. Our infant formula milks adhere to strict quality standards and are nutritionally better for babies than organic milks because some of the key nutrients our milks contain cannot be sourced organically. These key nutrients are prebiotic oligosaccharides, LCPs and nucleotides, for which we have clinical evidence to show that they are beneficial for babies.
For more information visit (click each link to access)
Cow & Gate infant milks or toddler foods
Cow & Gate About Us for more information on our standards
For more information on organic foods in general go to:
www.organic-consultancy.comwww.organicfood.co.uk
www.hdra.org.ukwww.ifst.org
References:
1. Soil Association; What is Organic?; (2008); http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/Living/whatisorganic.html2. UK Register of Organic Food Standards
3. DEFRA e-mail
4. DEFRA; Converting to Organic Farming; http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic/convert/index.htm 5. Food Standards Agency; Organic Food; http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/farmingfood/organicfood/#h_7
6. British Nutrition Foundation; Organic Foods; http://www.nutrition.org.uk/home.asp?siteId=43§ionId=782&subSectionId=323&parentSection=299&which=1#1277
7. British Dietetic Association; Hot Topics; Organic Foods and Health;
http://www.bda.uk.com/hot_topics_organic_food.html
