Both health officials and chefs tout the advantages of organic food, but it's hard to tell the difference between organic and conventional foods by eating them. In the case of organic poultry, the difference comes in how the birds are raised, which doesn't result in meat that has different texture, taste or nutrients, but does result in lowering consumption of antibiotics and exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria. Most people choose to buy organic chicken because of concerns over animal treatment and desire to keep their food "natural," not because it has superior taste.
Antibiotics
On conventional poultry farms, thousands of chickens are housed very close together, so disease can spread quickly. Therefore, farmers must dose each animal with antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick. According to Food, Inc., the print accompaniment to the documentary film edited by Karl Weber, increased use of antibiotics on farm animals could lead to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that can be passed to humans, such as the avian flu outbreaks of 2003 and 2004. Organic chickens don't need antibiotics because they don't live in such tight quarters. U.S. Department of Agriculture organic standards prohibit the use of any medical treatment for animals unless they are sick, including antibiotics and synthetic parasiticides.
Contamination
In a 2009 study, "Consumer Reports" found pathogens on both organic and conventional raw chicken, but the cleanest overall were organic air-chilled broilers. About 50 percent of organic brands tested positive for campylobacter, and 16 percent tested positive for salmonella. None of the organic store brands tested had salmonella bacteria. Nonorganic Perdue brand chicken tested very well, with 56 percent clean of pathogens, but only 17 percent of Tyson brand chickens were found to be free of bacteria. Foster Farms was also only 16 percent free of bacteria, and 30 percent of store brand conventional chickens tested were pathogen-free. No matter what kind of chicken you buy, keeping it well-wrapped and chilled and cooking it to 165 degrees Fahrenheit can help rid your poultry of bacteria that can make you sick.
Nutrition
According to Peter Melchett, policy director at The Organic Center, organic chicken contains higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and more omega-3 fat, which can lower bad cholesterol. Organic chicken was also found to have 65 percent less abdominal fat than conventional chicken, as well as better muscle mass development.
Taste
Peter Melchett also reports that taste tests have found organic chicken juicier, but a study by the "International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition" showed little difference in taste, texture, or appearance between organic, free-range and conventional chicken breasts.
Size
According to film editor Weber, the chicken industry uses selective breeding for fast-growing animals, as well as growth-producing antibiotics to produce birds that grow several times faster than birds in a natural state. Since organic chicken farmers do not use these drugs on their birds, organic chickens are likely to be smaller.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Regulations for the National Organic Program
- "Food, Inc."; Karl Weber (Ed.); 2009
- Greener Choices: Consumer Reports: Chicken Safety Organic vs Conventional
- The Organic Center: Plucking the Truth from Research
- "International Journal of Food Sciences And Nutrition;" Relationships Between Flavour, Lipid Composition and Antioxidants in Organic, Free-range and Conventional Chicken Breasts from Modelling; K. Jahan, A. Paterson, C.M. Spickett; May-June 2006
