Organic, from day one

July 20, 2017

Organic, from day one

by Tea Guidi

When it comes to baby food, one would like to be able to offer the highest quality and safety. For this reason, more and more mothers and fathers are opting for organic food after the birth of a child (and often as soon as the pregnancy is discovered).

In fact, organic foods are not treated with chemicals, are free of additives and free from GMOs. And this is true both for fresh foods (fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, yoghurt, milk…) and for baby food, i.e. packaged baby food (homogenized, flour, ready-to-eat baby food…), specific from scratch at three years. Preferring organic food is an ethical and healthy choice: doing it from the first meal means accompanying our child towards healthy eating habits, which are acquired and consolidated starting from weaning .

MORE VIRTUE, LESS 'VICES'

■ Organic production also uses some types of crop protection products: this is confirmed by Agrofarma (National Association of Crop Protection Products), explaining that the use of these medicines is essential for plant care and the safety of agricultural raw materials. But those who habitually consume organic fruit and vegetables expose their body to much lower quantities of pesticides and herbicides (particularly harmful to children). ■ The most recent studies show that organic meats are less fat and therefore less caloric, with a higher content of unsaturated fatty acids. Additionally, analysis of carcasses from organically raised animals showed higher intramuscular fat content, which should result in better flavor. ■ Compared, on the other hand, to the supposedly lower environmental impact of organic farms , it should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, given the number of parameters to consider: not only animal feed and veterinary therapies, but also living conditions, production methods, ways of transporting meats...

WEAN ORGANIC

Without prejudice to the fundamental rules of weaning (after six months, gradual and careful introduction of foods, continuation of breastfeeding... - an exhaustive guide was published in the spring 2016 issue of Nascere Mamma), when it comes to introducing the first solid foods in the baby's diet can you choose: organic or conventional? If the first meals are cooked at home – and this, if possible, is always the preferred way, taking care to select fresh and seasonal raw materials (vegetables for the broth, the first fruit to be grated, the first chicken…) – the organic option certainly has advantages in nutritional and health terms. If, on the other hand, we turn to baby foods , a clarification is essential: all of them, organic or not, are subjected to much stricter controls than products intended for adults, which makes them much safer. Having said that, when time is short or fresh food is not available, the choice of packaged organic food is certainly the wisest solution.