Organic Agriculture's Issues Related to Food Safety: Research, Perception, and Regulation

The demand of organically produced foods has continued to increase in the last decade as organic products are considered to offer a variety of advantages over conventionally produced foods. At the same time as consumers assume that organic foods are safer alternatives, many experts have been warning the public about the potential risks associated with organic agriculture practices. The lack of pesticides, antibiotics and other artificial inputs is one of the aspects that consumers associate with enhanced safety of organic foods. In contrast, the use of animal manure for crop fertilization, the lack of effective sanitizers for processing plants and the ban of antibiotics for livestock have been associated to potential for foodborne diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms. To this date there is relatively little epidemiological and scientific evidence linked to increased risk of foodborne diseases of organic foods, but the recent occurrence of relatively high profile outbreaks and the fact that several of the major pathogenic bacteria are zoonotic organisms has justified the need for a thorough risk assessment. Because there are relatively few antimicrobial substances that could be considered organic, regulators have allowed the use of synthetic materials with reservations, but the development of alternative natural antimicrobials is critical for the sustainability of organic food production. Current organic regulations require that manure should be composted before application onto crop fields, but they also allow the application of raw manure at least 90 or 120 days before harvest depending on crop type. Those regulations were issued more than a decade ago and during this many studies have reported that some bacterial species may remain viable in soil for more than 120 days. Given the continued demand for organic foods and the recognition that current regulations may not offer proper protection, it would be advisable that after more than a decade since the Organic Rule was enacted, those regulations were revised.