When should you buy organic?

Studies show that you can reduce your exposure to chemicals by eating organic food, but does that mean it’s always worth it to buy organic?

To find out, we turned to Ami Gadhia of Consumers Union, which has reported extensively or organics in Consumer Reports magazine.

Most shoppers encounter organics first in the produce section.

“If you’re buying fruits and vegetables that have peels on them that you’re going to be consuming, I would certainly buy those organic,“  Ghadia said.  “But any fruits and vegetables that you’re going to peel and any pesticide residue is not going to be consumed.  I wouldn’t worry about spending your money by buying organic.“

You can save your money and not bother to buy organic bananas, avocados or onions, and don’t spend extra money to buy organic broccoli and asparagus because they generally have undetectable pesticide levels. 

Now we move over to the meat counter.  Is organic meat worth it?

“If you’re talking about meat, it means the animal was raised without antibiotics or hormones or was not genetically engineered,“ Ghadia advises.

If that’s important to you, organic meant and organic chicken may be worth it.

However that’s not the case in the seafood department.

“With seafood, don’t bother buying organic.  The term is not regulated the way it is with other foods when it comes to seafood,“ she explains. 

Ghadia also says organic is not worth it when it comes to items such as cereal and pasta.

Organic is also not worth it in the personal care aisle.

“Right now that term is not regulated by the USDA as it applies to cosmetics the same way that it is applied to produce,“ she says.

However, organic is worth it when it comes to babies and their food, including apple sauce and juice.

Organics are also worth it when you purchase milk and eggs.

Consumers union says as bigger players jump into organic marketing, it’s more important than ever to understand the term and what’s behind it.