Is it just me or has the media dropped the word “organic” from their spinach stories.  Here is the reporting by the N&O. Not one use of the word organic.  Same for the NBC network news last night.  It seems that the MSM’s love affair with the organic lobby knows no bounds.  Here is a statement from Heartland Institute that tries to tell the truth about organic farming. 

Statement by Richard McGuire, former commissioner of agriculture and markets for the State of New York 

As a former commissioner of agriculture and markets for the State of New York, a position that included ensuring the safety of the food supply, I am not surprised by the present wave of sickness and even death caused by E. coli on organic spinach. I have long been concerned the danger from E. coli, listeria monocytogens, and a host of other microorganisms was a time bomb waiting to explode.

It has.

The fact is, larger growers and our nationwide distribution system can now expose millions to the dangers of foods produced using such things as animal manure and tobacco residues, as opposed to scientifically proven and safe growing methods, just so they can be called “organic” or “natural.”

Why is it the words “organically grown” conjure up “safety” in the public’s mind? Why is it people choose to reject the vast amount of research that has been carried out at land-grant colleges across the country to improve the quality and safety of the food we eat?

Instead they choose the potentially dangerous “organic” and “natural” foods associated with the nostalgia of the “good old days.” The food of the good old days was not that good! That was when we used things such as arsenic, sulfur, tobacco-dust, formaldehyde, and other poisons to control pests and preserve foods.

Science and research have made it possible to control pests and plant diseases without using these poisons, and a higher quality and safer food supply has been a great benefit to the consuming public. Is it any wonder we are all living longer?

Consumers who want to “turn back the clock” to the days of food produced without modern techniques should do so judiciously. Consuming “organic” and “natural” foods can be injurious to your health.