NRDC and Organic Know-It-Alls

By ACSH Staff — Apr 14, 2003
Organic food buffs think they are wiser than the rest of us about what to eat, but: "The truth is there is no scientific evidence to prove that organic foods are safer or more nutritious than conventionally grown foods. They both must meet the same safety and quality standards based on government guidelines and standards." Dietician Terrie A. Holewinksi, quoted by HealthScoutNews

Organic food buffs think they are wiser than the rest of us about what to eat, but:

"The truth is there is no scientific evidence to prove that organic foods are safer or more nutritious than conventionally grown foods. They both must meet the same safety and quality standards based on government guidelines and standards."

Dietician Terrie A. Holewinksi, quoted by HealthScoutNews

And the environmentalists at the National Resources Defense Council think they know better than the Pentagon whether environmental regulations (forbidding the use of large pieces of U.S. land during much of the year) have been a hindrance to military training exercises:

"Existing law already says that national security trumps environmental concerns. Why does the Department of Defense the biggest polluter in the nation need more than that? Pentagon officials claim that our health and environmental safeguards hamper military readiness. That's not true."

Karen Wayland, Ph.D., Natural Resources Defense Council, in a letter to the Wall Street Journal

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Responses:

April 16, 2003

As if the scientists know either.

One only has to look at the constantly changing food recommendations put forth by "experts" to understand that the "truth" is not owned by the dieticians or the research scientists.

Roger Windsor

April 22, 2003

Roger, the problem is not the scientists. It's the media. They seem unwilling to do their homework, touting unproven and even dangerous ideas as if they were proven and even acceptable. No reporter worth his or her salt would have an expert who might torpedo the whole premise contribute anything substantial to a presentation on anything. Remember, journalists are advocates, not just reporters! So things look like they are in flux when in fact people are just marketing their own ideas under the banner of the news.

Bill James