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Food for thought: are organic foods really pesticide free?
When you buy organic food, you don’t always get food free from pesticides, UNSW expert says.
As consumers, we’ve been conditioned to believe that organic foods are free from hormones and pesticides. Walk into any supermarket, you will find fresh produce, canned foods, poultry, and even personal hygiene products labelled as ‘organic’.
But what does buying organic produce really mean?
Food and health expert, Associate Professor Jayashree Arcot from UNSW School of Chemical Engineering, says organic farms are only certified after they have been operating under organic principles for three years, and must pass an audit and review process.
Two researchers at UNSW
Sydney are looking into a way to turn banana plantation waste into packaging material that is both biodegradable and recyclable. Associate Professor Jayashree Arcot, UNSW School of Chemical Engineering and Professor Martina Stenzel, UNSW School of Chemistry were looking for ways to convert agricultural waste into something that could add value to the industry it was a by-product of, while potentially solving problems for another.
According to Associate Professor Arcot, the banana industry produces large amounts of organic waste, with only 12 per cent of the plant being used (the fruit) while the rest is discarded after harvest.