The organic (有机的) food market is made up of the sale of organic foods, drinks and related services. These food products do not use a lot of food additives or industrial solvent (溶剂).
Increasing health concerns about the growing number of chemical poisoning cases globally is acting as a driver in the organic food market. People are paying more attention to health because of the harmful effects caused by the presence of chemical pesticides (杀虫剂) in food products.
The chemical pesticides in food products can cause cancer. According to a UN report, around 200,000 people die every year due to bad effects of pesticides in food products. This is causing people to change their focus towards organic food products.
Are organic foods safer? We cannot say yes immediately. Some data show possible health benefits of organic foods. Some studies have shown differences between the organic foods and the traditional ones. But there is little information to prove how these differences can give overall health benefits.
Compared with the traditional foods and drinks, short shelf life of organic foods is controlling the organic food market. For example, a study conducted by a research team shows that the shelf life of organic food products is shorter than traditional products. Similarly, some researchers find that many organic foods have higher levels of bacteria than traditional products, which cause food to go bad. As organic foods don't have the similar amount of preservative (防腐剂) to that of traditional foods, organic foods are easier to gain bacteria attacks and have a shorter shelf life, which in turn makes it difficult for people to keep them. Thus, people will experience a high risk of buying the bad organic foods.
The organic food market is controlled by authorities such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to ensure high-quality standards of food products. Also, the authorities have come up with strict food labeling rules for the organic food market.
