Stanford Study - Organic Produce Reduces Exposure to Pesticides

News Release - Environmental Working Group 
Organic Produce Reduces Exposure to Pesticides, Research Confirms
Stanford Univ. Study Also Finds Organic Meat Has Fewer Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
August 31, 2012

Environmental Working Group : "Consumers can markedly reduce their intake of pesticide residues and their exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria by choosing organic produce and meat, according to researchers at Stanford University who reviewed a massive body of scientific studies on the much-debated issue. The Stanford team analyzed more than 230 field studies and 17 human studies conducted in the United States and Europe to compare pesticide residues, antibiotic resistance and vitamin and nutrient levels in organic and conventionally produced foods. The study, published Monday, September 3, 2012 is available online at the website of The Annals of Internal Medicine (abstract only)...Based on its review of the available research, the Stanford team also concluded that conventionally raised meat harbors more antibiotic resistant bacteria. It found that consumers of non-organic chicken or pork are 33 percent more likely to ingest three or more strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria than those who eat organic meat."

New Report: America Trashes Forty Percent of Food Supply

Press Release - Natural Resources Defense Council

New Report:  America Trashes Forty Percent of Food Supply

August 21, 2012

New analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council: "Food is simply too good to waste. Even the most sustainably farmed food does us no good if the food is never eaten. Getting food to our tables eats up 10 percent of the total U.S. energy budget, uses 50 percent of U.S. land, and swallows 80 percent of freshwater consumed in the United States. Yet, 40 percent of food in the United States today goes uneaten. That is more than 20 pounds of food per person every month. Not only does this mean that Americans are throwing out the equivalent of $165 billion each year, but also 25 percent of all freshwater and huge amounts of unnecessary chemicals, energy, and land. Moreover, almost all of that uneaten food ends up rotting in landfills where it accounts for almost 25 percent of U.S. methane emissions. Wasted: How America is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm To Fork to Landfill – analyzes the latest case studies and government data on the causes and extent of food losses at every level of the U.S. food supply chain. It also provides examples and recommendations for reducing this waste."

Food Orders Placed Online Are More Fattening, Complicated

Jie Jenny Zou, The Wall Street Journal, July 20, 2012
 
A new study suggests that consumers feel less inhibited while on the Internet, making for orders that are more complex and calorie-laden.

Ryan McDevitt, assistant professor of economics and management at the University of Rochester’s Simon Graduate School of Business, examined the North Carolina pizza chain of 160,000 orders over a four-year period with price and offerings remaining the same. When it came to web orders, customers exercised more choice, sometimes quadrupling their bacon or piling on toppings.

As a result, a pizza ordered online was about 15% more complicated and contained 6% more calories compared to orders placed on the phone or in person. The study also found that while the company’s move to the web didn’t result in more new customers, it increased how much existing customers spent by 4% — largely due to the cost of more toppings.

Economists have attributed the “long tail,” or varied sales distribution, of Internet companies like Amazon to larger inventories and search functions, which provide customers with more choices and allow them to find obscure items.

Mr. McDevitt expects similar customization to occur with online ordering regardless of product type and argued customers are better off on the Internet because they are more able to meet their product needs. Aside from the excessive calories, of course.

“They have the same choices as before, but they’re removing the social transaction costs,” said Mr. McDevitt. “From my own personal experience, I feel more comfortable ordering something online than at the counter.”

He mentioned how customers ordering at Starbucks might be less inclined to make elaborate drink orders as they peek over their shoulder at the line of people behind them, or how women have taken to reading racy content like “Fifty Shades of Grey” on e-readers, which provide anonymity.

The study also suggests other reasons for complex orders — namely that the Internet makes it easier for consumers to choose by giving them access to a full menu as opposed to someone who might call and order something more typical like a plain pepperoni pizza.