Why you should choose organic for your bub?

Babies and toddlers go through dramatic growth and cognitive development in the first two years of life, a process dependent on adequate nutrition and a healthy environment.

Organic food contains higher nutrient levels, including higher levels of antioxidants, with fewer harmful substances ⁽¹⁾.

On the contrary, conventional farming methods produce foods with higher heavy metals, antibiotics, hormones, and genetically modified (GMO) ingredients. As the immune system is still developing, babies are more susceptible to chemicals and pesticides found in foods farmed conventionally. This, in turn, may have a negative impact on their health and development ⁽²⁾.

There are a number of studies linking pesticide exposure in children with an increase in learning disabilities and behavioural issues such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ⁽³⁾.

Wherever possible, preference should be given to provide babies and children with organic food to ensure they are met with the best start in life.

While eating purely organic food is ideal, there are measures you can put into place to reduce chemical exposure and improve the quality of the food your family eats.

Shopping at a local farmers’ market is a good place to start and can be significantly less expensive than big brand supermarkets or organic shops. While the produce may not be 100% organic, shopping locally means a shorter transit time from the farm to your fridge, meaning higher nutrient retention than produce purchased at the supermarket (which can be weeks old by the time you take it home, resulting in loss of vitamins and minerals).

Washing non-organic produce before consuming is important for reducing pesticide residue. Check out our resource on ‘how to reduce pesticides from non-organic fruit and veggies’ for more information on effective washing methods.

Prioritize these foods to purchase organic if you can: Australian crops with the highest pesticide residue ⁽⁵⁾ – apples, wheat, strawberries, pears, grapes, lettuce, nectarine, peaches.

ACO (Australian Certified Organic) is Australia’s largest certifier of organic and biodynamic produce.

Being responsible for more than half of the world’s organic produce, Australia has some of the most stringent testing requirements in the world for acquiring organic certification, and ACO holds international accreditation for standards of integrity, impartiality, and objectivity ⁽⁴⁾.