Nowadays, supermarkets offer abundant varieties of fruits and vegetables. With the abundant variety, there are also distinguishing categories for each fruits and veggies.
Initially, while shopping in the supermarkets, I use to wonder, why just the addition of bio tag for a product increases its cost by 30-50% than a non-bio product. I am sure, you would think the same. And with that, our mind tends to think that Bio products are more nutritive than the conventional ones, of course, that´s human psychology, costly equals to better in quality. So, I thought of clearing my doubt and sharing it with you, so that you decide the best for yourself.
What exactly are Bio products?
Before we talk about Bio and its by-products, we also need to define organic and eco, to avoid further confusion. Well, Eco and Organic are both synonyms for Bio. Which means, all 3 words Bio, Eco and Organic mean the exact same, and are defined as, by dictionary :: produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial chemicals. By the means of “organic farming”.
Related to the products, the bio-products or bio-based products are materials, chemicals and energy derived from renewable biological resources.
Now that we know, Bio, Eco and Organic are all the same. Let´s get back to the topic at hand, what is the key difference between Bio and non-Bio.
Myths Vs. Facts
Bio products are expensive—does that mean they are better?
According to the scientific analysis, the bio food has more of the antioxidant compounds and low levels of toxic metals and pesticides. This is because; for the food to be labelled Bio, it needs to meet certain requirements. Some of the important requirements are that the product must come only from an organic farm that supports natural diversity, that it cannot be treated with chemically synthesised pesticides or fertilizers nor be genetically engineered and that it cannot contain any unnecessary additives or undergo aggressive processing. All these efforts goes into making a food product to be Bio.
So, the major difference between the two categories Bio and non-Bio, is the way in which they are farmed and cultivated. Bio food goes under a keen and a tedious process involving all natural and organic modes, using earthworms and insects as a source of pesticides to avoid any diseases or harm to the crop; also using manure and cow dung as fertilizers to have no chemicals involved in the cultivation process, also to have no adverse effect on the environment. While the non-Bio food is produced by conventional farming with the use of pesticides and fertilizers.
Does it mean that the Bio food products are more nutritive?
Absolutely not, there are no research that proves the Bio food is better in quality than the non-bio. There is no difference in the nutritive value of both categories. There are also some discussions stating that, the Bio food are rich in taste and last longer than the non-Bio food. But again, there has been no proof. So, it won´t be wrong to say, non-bio food can be just as fresh, healthy and tasty as the Bio food.
The matter of fact and the difference in the two categories is only in its process of cultivation and how it works on the environment. But that doesn’t cause changes in the final product. They carry the same nutritive benefits. So, choosing Bio over non-Bio just under the impression that it is healthier and fresher, is not actually true. Bio surely is expensive than non-Bio, and that is true, as it takes a lot to get a food product labelled as Bio. Buying Bio could do some good to the nature, but not all have that luxury to always prefer the Bio food products.
If your only concern is to have healthy food, then it doesn’t matter what you choose between the Bio and non-Bio. But if you wish to do better for the environment and help local farming with no intention of personal gains, then you can certainly opt for the Bio food as it helps actively supporting sustainable agriculture and environmentally sound farming methods and since many Bio products come from local farms you are also supporting local business and strengthening the local economy
Conclusions can be drawn for yourself, as to which one would you prefer buying. The biggest benefits of buying organic are of economic, ethical and environmental nature and are not so much about health.
Author: Kinnari
Welcome! I am Kinnari, a 20 something Engineer from Pune, India. Presently residing in Germany, which got me an opportunity to explore the world around me! Staying far from my family also got me a chance to step into the kitchen and put my apron on! Altogether a big opportunity to share my experiences with you!
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