Ignorance of Food Production

Today Show Organic Segment Misrepresents Facts
By Pork news staff (Monday, September 15, 2008)

Until two years ago, Lisa Lee Freeman had spent her career at Consumer Reports magazine telling readers how to save money shopping online for flowers and how to choose a long-lasting lipstick. But this week Freeman turned up on NBC’s Today show to talk about organic food, and the segment contained a lot of misinformation.

Freeman is now Editor-in-chief of ShopSmart magazine, and she appeared on the Today show to help consumers sort through supermarket labels and know when to pay extra for organic foods. Freeman started the segment by implying that organic foods are the only foods regulated by the government and then went on to claim that "in many cases organic foods are safer, they're more nutritious, and they're always better for the environment."

Although Today show reporter Amy Robach pointed out that organics "always are more expensive," Freeman says when it comes to meats; it's worth the extra cost. Freeman suggested most animals are fed "...slaughterhouse waste, which could cause 'mad cow disease'" and went on to assert that organic meat is "better for the environment, safer for your health. You're not going to get 'mad cow disease' eating organic." Read More

While selling organic food has been a very good business for some producers, they should not be excited about Lisa Lee Freeman’s appearance on the Today Show. She obviously has very little knowledge of any type of food production and blatantly showed her ignorance with some of the statements she made. All producers should strive to have the truth told about their products. It does agriculture no good when one segment’s marketing plan is to run down other segments.