Health
Is organic food worth the price tag?
With the cost of living on the rise, buying organic may seem like a luxury. Find out which organic foods to prioritise and how to reduce the amount of pesticides on conventional foods to level up your health.
By Sabrina Rogers
With an approximate value of $862 million in 2024 and a projected annual growth rate of 5.23% between 2025 and 2034, organic food remains a niche but steadily growing market in Australia.
An increasing number of Australians are conscious of avoiding pesticides, which have been linked to a wide range of health issues in humans, including respiratory disorders, several types of cancer, diabetes, reproductive and developmental issues, and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
Others have concerns about the environmental impact of traditional farming methods that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, soil erosion, and water and marine pollution.
But with a 2021 Bond University study showing that shoppers paid a 60% price premium on a basket of organic food compared to conventional food, the majority of Australians can’t afford to embrace a wholly organic lifestyle.
Interestingly, the ABC reported in 2022 that the gap in cost between conventional and organic produce was steadily closing. With the inflation in conventional fruit and vegetable prices still going strong today, organic produce may increasingly be worth considering.
What is considered organic food in Australia?
“To be organic, a food must have six exclusions,” says Dr John Paull, an environmental scientist at the University of Tasmania. “So, you’re paying for things you’re not getting and don’t want to get because they won’t help your health.”
Foods must exclude the six following substances or processes to become Australian Certified Organic:
- Synthetic fertilisers
- Synthetic pesticides (including insecticides, fungicides and herbicides)
- Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
- Irradiation (a form of food processing that uses radiation to extend shelf life)
- Nanotechnology (the use of nanomaterials - which are microscopic in size - to improve food safety, colour texture and flavour)
Are pesticides really that bad for our health?
Amongst the six exclusions, pesticides get the most airtime - and with good reason.
“Almost all chemically produced food has some detectable pesticide residues on it,” says Dr Paull. “The simple truth is that eating a smorgasbord of chemicals over your lifetime isn’t good for you.
“Your system has to work very hard to metabolise and excrete them. And if you’re excreting them through your faeces, urine or skin, they won’t have a good effect on these systems. There's a lot of science behind the negative effects of pesticides on human health.”
Is organic food more nutritious?
A recent review of existing research on organic food found that it contains higher levels of iron, magnesium and vitamin C.
“Organic food is denser in micronutrients because it hasn't been pushed to grow,” explains Dr Paull. “Synthetic fertilisers pump food up with nitrogen, which in turn pumps it up with water. If you put more water in food, it’s heavier but less dense in micronutrients.”
The review also identified a range of health benefits associated with eating organic foods, including reduced BMI and obesity, improved blood nutrient composition, and a reduced risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma and colorectal cancer.
How can I tell if a product is truly organic?
Looking for the Australian Certified Organic logo on products is a good starting point, but Dr Paull warns it isn’t a guarantee.
“Don't stop reading there,” he says. “Find out where it was grown. If it says Australian Certified Organic, and then you look at the label and it says it’s made from 100% imported ingredients, don't buy it. They know where it was imported from, but they're not telling you.
“The organic certification process is pretty much the same in China and the US as it is in Australia. There are the same six exclusions and certification means these things have been excluded from the production process, but there’s no guarantee they aren’t in the end product. If you're growing in a more polluted country, your product is going to imbibe more pesticides.
“Even if it says ‘Made in Australia’, that means almost nothing. They might mix it up in a pot in Australia, but it doesn't mean it has anything that was actually grown in Australia. If it’s grown in Australia, it will say, ‘Produce of Australia.’ That’s what you should look for.”
While Australian-grown organic food may contain some traces of pesticides if it was grown on land that was previously used for conventional farming, Dr Paull says this isn’t worth worrying about.
“Organic farming leaves a lighter load of all the harmful chemicals you're trying to avoid and therefore reduces your risk,” he explains.
Which organic foods should I prioritise on a limited budget?
Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts out its Dirty Dozen list identifying the fruits and vegetables that are most contaminated with pesticides.
The 2024 Dirty Dozen from most to least contaminated is:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, collard and mustard greens
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Pears
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Capsicums and hot peppers
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Green beans
“The list is compiled using American data, so it will be somewhat different in Australia,” explains Dr Paull. “But the fact is that a lot of pests love strawberries, so a lot of pesticides are used to eliminate them. The same applies to spinach, which is green, leafy and delicious.”
How can I effectively remove pesticides from conventional foods?
If you quickly rinse your fruit and vegetables under cold water to get rid of the chemicals, we have some bad news: it doesn't work.
“Some pesticides are systemic, which means they’re sprayed onto the foliage, but they’re then absorbed and distributed throughout the flesh,” says Dr Paull. “But you can still reduce the amount of pesticides you ingest by peeling your fruit and vegetables and washing them.
“The reason running them under tap water doesn’t work is because farmers wouldn't invest in a product that washes off in the rain. They want a product with an adjuvant that makes it stick to the fruit and vegetables.
“So, just like you'd wash your hands with soap to get something sticky off them, you need to wash your fruit and vegetables in soap. The purest soap you can buy in Australia is Velvet soap, which doesn’t have a perfume.”
Pick your battles
While eating organic may be better for our health, the levels of pesticides and other potentially harmful substances used in the production of food are strictly regulated by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand and consistently found to be low compared to many other countries.
To reduce your exposure, try to buy organic versions of the Dirty Dozen and thoroughly wash and peel your conventional produce.
“The farm shouldn’t be a chemical factory,” concludes Dr Paull.
The information on this page is general information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Do not use the information found on this page as a substitute for professional health care advice. Any information you find on this page or on external sites which are linked to on this page should be verified with your professional health care provider.
Feature image: iStock/Jacob Wackerhausen
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