A question of organic

On the face of it, buying organic sounds like the best option: after all, it is considered by many to be the most ethical and natural choice. Of course, it is often the most expensive too, and some claim that the health benefits are spurious. Nonetheless, the organic food and drink market is growing at a steady rate of 10% a year, according to a recent Food-News market report, since 2000/2001, when even higher growth was registered. So what should consumers do?

Three options are available: buy all organic, buy no organic, or buy selectively organic, choosing those products likely to give the most benefits whilst still fitting into the budget. For some, this means buying all fresh foods that are labelled organic, whilst to others, buying organic milk and eggs. These choices are not always particularly informed.

According to the report, fruit and vegetables have increased their share in the growth of the organic market, as have meats and fish, fruit juice, and hot beverages. Dairy and bread products have remained steady, while multi-ingredient products have lost some of their share.

On the face of it, news that organic fruit and vegetables have seen increased growth is a good thing. Many fruits and vegetables are treated heavily with pesticides, according to the US-based Environmental Working Group. However, others aren't, they say, so if a choice must be made, the group recommends certain produce that should always be bought organic. based on its own analysis.

Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes were found to have the highest amounts of pesticides. The group found that nectarines tested positive for pesticides most often, over 97% of the time. Peaches and apples were also particularly high.

The cleanest twelve - which often have protective natural outer layers that consumers do not eat - were onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapples, mango, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and eggplant. Tropical fruits pineapple, mango and avocado were the lowest, with over 90% of the samples testing negative for pesticides.

The group's news should be helpful for consumers searching for the areas in which it is most critical to buy organic. The results for other fruits and vegetables not on the list can be found on the group's website.

Organic milk is another common purchase. The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative reports that sales in the UK are growing at a rate of 30% each year, and the Soil Association claims that the milk is better for the environment, the welfare of cows, and the consumer's health, owing to the natural diet from the cows. And while one recent study has disputed the milk's environmental claims, though not its added nutritional value, the organic choice is not much more expensive than the traditional version, at about 8p per pint more.

The milk cooperative has published a family's guide to "going organic" that touches on the cost implications of the choice and offers advice on how to minimise the budgetary strain:

-buy free-range and organic meats and fish where possible. "Less is more," it says, because the average adut needs only 75 g (3 oz) a day.

-shop around at different supermarkets, or even online, to find the best deal.

-purchase seasonal fruit and vegetables as they are often more nutritious, with less strain to the environment, since they grow naturally

-use the freezer more by making larger batches of recipes and saving them for future use.

Even taking all this information into account, how much will it cost the average consumer? A quick nip to an online supermarket offers an initial perspective:

Nectarines: organic, unavailable. regular, 40p each.
Peaches: organic, 50p each. premium, 40p each.
Braeburn apples: organic, 29p each. regular, 28p each.
Red grapes: organic, £6.22/kg. regular, £2.97/kg.
Celery: organic, £1.05/unit. regular, 68p/unit.
Peppers: organic, 89p each. regular, 68 p each.
Strawberries: organic, £8.30/kg. regular, £4.16/kg.
Cherries: unavailable
Lettuce: organic, 99p/unit. regular, 42p/unit.
Pears: organic, £2.65/kg. regular, £1.99/kg.
Spinach: organic, £6.95/kg. regular, £3.63/kg.
Potatoes: organic £1.33/kg. regular, £1.29/kg.

Milk (2 pints): organic, 81p/litre. regular, 61p/litre.

Chicken (whole): organic, £5.49/kg. regular, £2.39/kg.

Although the units are not all the same, by comparing the prices, the calculations show that the organic food totals £35.47, while the regular food adds up to £19.50. The organic food was 82% more. These numbers will not account for the actual tab at the supermarket, though give an idea of how much more one could expect to pay by simply choosing the most necessary organic foods.