Although still relatively rare, organic food recalls spiked in 2015 ― but that actually might be a good thing.
The New York Times reports organic food has made up seven percent of the food recalled so far in 2015, according to data from Stericylce, a company that handles recalls for businesses. That’s up from only 2 percent of total recalls in 2014 and 1 percent in 2013 and 2012.
Of course, this isn’t a sign you should ditch organic fruits and veggies. Not only have studies shown that organic food is indeed better for you ― they’re packed with antioxidants and have less pesticide residue ― but this increase in recalls probably has something to do with how much more organic food is available. The market is expanding like crazy; in June, Costco’s chief financial officer Richard Galanti said Costco has made “at least” $4 billion annually in organic food sales, up from an estimate of $3 billion he gave just six to nine months before.
“A key point to keep in mind is that an overall increase in organic recalls between 2012 and 2015 would not be surprising ― not because organic food is less safe, but because of the dramatic increase in organic food sales and purchases that we’ve been seeing in this country,” Gwendolyn Wyard of the Organic Trade Association told the New York Times.
Plus, a lot of these recalls are cautionary. In March, despite no reports of illness, Amy’s Kitchen recalled over 70,000 cases of food because some of the spinach in their products may have been tainted with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which can be extremely dangerous for pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
So there you have it: You don’t have to lose the organics. Just know your recall facts.