Jim Porch walked into Publix on Tuesday evening in search of something to eat.
He immediately went to the produce section of the store and picked a bag of Publix Greenwise Market baby cut carrots.
Porch, 54, of Brunswick, Ga., said he didn’t know the difference between organic and non-organic foods. Porch said he was just looking for a healthier option due to his diabetes.
“I don’t do much of the shopping,” he said. “My wife does the shopping.”
Like Porch, some people don’t know the difference between organic and non-organic. Some believe that organic foods are healthier and more nutritious than the regular options.
A recent study by Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab researchers, shows the influence organic labels have on people’s shopping decisions.
According to the study, 115 people tasted two pairs of cookies, yogurts and potato chips. One of the products were labeled as organic, and the other was labeled regular. The participants said the organic options were 20 to 24 percent lower in calories than the regular options. They were willing to pay up to 23 percent more for the organic foods. However, both of the options were actually organic.
The study concluded that organic labels can cause a health halo effect.
Daniela Perednik, an 18-year-old UF animal science freshman, said she occasionally eats organic foods because she is trying to lead a healthier lifestyle. She is also a vegetarian. She said she believes organic is healthier because it is natural and free of pesticides.
Perednik said the outcome of the study was interesting.
“It shines a light on the fact that organic is not automatically healthy,” she said.
