ECO, Bio and Organic Foods: are there any differences between them?

If you’re a health-conscious person, you may have come across the terms eco, bio and organic foods.

An aura of health surrounds these products and it seems that if you put them next to any food, it becomes healthy as if by magic.

In this post, we’ll clarify all your doubts regarding these labels:

Let’s get stuck in.

What are ecological products?

A food with the label “ecological” is nothing more than an agricultural or agro-industrial product that is produced under a set of procedures and protocols called “ecological”, which generally avoid or minimise the use of pesticides, artificial fertilisers or herbicides. That’s it.

So when someone tells you, “this apple is ecological”, it means that apple has been produced using a very specific and regulated “ecological” methodology, which allows for such a label.

Thus, ecological food producers are obliged by law to use certain authorised chemicals, to fertilise with compost, and to use less environmentally damaging methods.

Let us now review some of the benefits of ecological products and foods in more detail.

What are eco-foods?

The main benefit and claim of eco products is their greater nutritional value.

It is common knowledge that the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in fruits and vegetables have declined dramatically in recent decades.

For example, eating an orange in 1950 is very different from eating it in 2021, and the vitamin C content of the orange is much lower.

Another example far removed from the plant world is the content of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for many biological processes, which is much higher in ecologically produced meat and dairy products.

One more reason why many people have switched to grass-fed meat and ecological farming.

What are bio foods?

What is the practical and theoretical difference between a food with the “eco” label and one with the “bio” label?

Well, at least in Spain, there aren’t any.

Both denominations are comparable and are regulated by the regulations set out in Royal Decree 1852/1993.

This is slightly different in other countries, where a bio food usually refers to a food that is not genetically altered or with more specific connotations, regardless of whether or not pesticides have been used in its cultivation, i.e. it has been produced using an ecological methodology.

What are organic foods?

Similarly, if we look at the definition of organic food, it’s defined as those foods in which no substances such as pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used in the production process.

The following things are also rejected:

Don’t the definitions of bio and eco food sound familiar?

Effectively, these are the same.

But are products labelled as organic healthier?

If we take this large systematic review of no less than 55 articles, the clear conclusions are that there is no evidence of differences in nutritional quality between organic and conventional agriculture.

Small differences in nutrient content are found, but these can be justified by biological differences between products (not all oranges have the same mg of Vitamin C) or by different production methods.

So, why do people insist on eating more organic products?

There are many reasons and most of them are due to good nutritional marketing that has generated the unconscious association in the population of eco/bio/organic products with being healthy.

This, together with the chemophobia existing in a growing number of people and the greater concern in general of the population for their health, means that there are more and more supermarket aisles full of eco and bio food.

What’s the difference between them?

We return to the key concept of the post: the three terms organic, biological and ecological refer to production practices that respect certain “ecological” standards and methodologies.

So, should we all consume eco, bio and organic food?

Well, it’s a very personal thing.

You may choose to include this type of food to reduce “chemicals” from your diet, or to be more environmentally friendly and reduce your CO2 footprint.

In any case, there is nothing wrong with opting for eco-friendly products as long as your wallet can afford it (and it is probably beneficial to do so, all things considered).

However, we do find many inconsistencies in the arguments used in favour of these products:

And there is another danger with “nutrition labelling”, which also applies to others labelled like “gluten-free” or “lactose-free”.

And such claims do not guarantee per se that we are talking about a healthy product.

The problem is that, unconsciously, the consumer sees a “plus” in this type of product and tends to consume it with a “lowered” perception that it is still not a recommended food item.

Hugs to you and see you in the next one!

Sources Consulted

1. Alan D. Dangour, Sakhi K.Dodhia, Arabella Hayter, Elizabeth Allen, Karen Lock, Ricardo Uauy (2009). Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review.

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