Welcome back to paging Dr. Gupta.

This is the podcast where your questions drive the conversation.

And this week, we're introducing another one of my producers, Sophia.

Hi, Sanjay.

We have some great calls for you today, and the first one is someone we've actually heard from before.

Hi, Sanjay.

It's Casey again.

I left you a message.

Organic versus conventional food.

I actually work in the organic industry and have for coming up on 20 years, and there's

a lot of misconception about what is and isn't organic food.

Okay, Sophia, thank you. And Casey, great point. I mean, look, I can't tell you how many times I myself have been at a farmer's market or at the grocery store, wondering what the real difference is and then deciding, I think, whether it's worth the price and if it's

healthier. So, Casey, to your point, let's start with the basics. Let's start with the definition.

As simply as I can put it, organic food is considered organic because of the way it is farmed,

handled, and processed. Again, farmed, handled, processed. So according to the National Organic

Program of the USDA, for food to be considered organic, it's got to meet these standards.

Grown, without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers. That also means no genetically modified

organisms. Okay, so it doesn't have any of those

pesticides or herbicides in it. No need to worry about harmful dyes because these foods can't

contain any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Okay? So far are you with me? Finally,

if it's an animal product, the animals then are not given

growth hormone or antibiotics. They get organic feed and must have the option to go outside.

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