What you’re really buying when you pay more for organic at the supermarket

Most shoppers assume organic means healthier, but the eye-watering checkout price is usually enough to shut down the idea of switching to them fast.

But does that heavy markup actually buy you better nutrition, or are you just paying for the perception of better health – or fancy packaging?

In a recent social media poll by Harris Farm Market asking shoppers if they choose organic, 48 per cent said they do, but only for select items. Thirty-three per cent give them a miss entirely, and 13 per cent of those surveyed said they only buy organic.

These days, the “organic” label is attached to a growing number of grocery items far beyond simple fruit and vegetables. There’s organic meat, milk, eggs, yoghurt, coffee, tinned tomatoes, cheese, and even cereals.

We compared prices on everyday supermarket staples and asked top dietitians to reveal when organic is worth the extra money – and when standard produce is just as good.

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Price comparison

Fruit and vegetables

The most affordable bananas at Coles this week are $4.90, compared to $5.50 for organic, while Woolworths’ cheapest bananas are 86c each compared to $1.02 each for organic – a 12-18 per cent markup.

Royal Gala apples are $7.90 per kilo at Coles, compared to $8.90 for the organic versions. Avocados at Woolworths cost $2.50, with $2.90 for organic.

Brushed potatoes at Coles are $7.70 a kilo next to $9.90 for organic.

Carrots cost $2.50 per kilo at Woolworths, with the organic version almost double in price at $4.60. Broccoli at Coles is $5 per kilo, with organic broccoli jumping up to $13.80 a kilo.

Apply this mark up across all fruits and vegetables that form part of your weekly shop, and you could find yourself paying $20 extra or more on organic fruits and vegetables alone.

Chilled items

Beef mince doubles in price, with Coles home brand sold for $15 per kilo and organic beef mince marked at $31 per kilo. Porterhouse steak at Woolworths is $40 per kilo, but organic jumps up to $60.34.

Coles brand chicken drumsticks are $4.80 per kilo, compared with $11.50 for organic, and Woolworths brand chicken breast is $11 per kilo and increases to $34.50 for organic.

Home brand milk at Coles costs $1.70 per litre, whereas organic full cream milk is $3.95 per kilo. Sunny Queen eggs jump from $9.15 to $13.30 for the organic version at Woolworths.

Then there’s the growing range of organic pantry items on offer, including tinned tomatoes, coffee and even breakfast cereals. Coles brand diced tomatoes in a 400g tin cost $1.10, compared to Coles certified organic tinned tomatoes at $1.60.

Items that didn’t cost much more for organic versions included yoghurt, cheese, and coffee beans, depending on the brand you choose.

What the experts say

“Organic” describes a food production system, food scientist Dr Emma Beckett told nine.com.au.

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“It is not a synonym for healthier, safer, or more nutritious.”

Dr Beckett said while there are “legitimate reasons” someone might choose organic produce, nutrition “is probably not the best reason”.

“Organic farming generally restricts the use of many synthetic pesticides and fertilisers and uses specified approaches to soil fertility, pest management and production. But, organic does not mean pesticide-free,” she explained.

“Organic agriculture can use approved pesticides, but they are derived from natural sources, and being natural doesn’t necessarily mean more safe.”

Then there is the difference between “organic” and “certified organic” foods with Dr Beckett said “aren’t quite the same thing”.

“Food sold domestically in Australia does not have to be certified against a particular organic standard simply to use the word organic, but businesses do need to be able, or should be able to, to substantiate organic claims regardless.

“The idea of certification is to give consumers more faith in the products, but I’m not sure if that actually pans out in real life. The term definitely has a health halo regardless.

“There can be measurable differences in particular nutrients or plant compounds between organic and conventionally grown produce. But those differences are inconsistent across foods and studies, and there’s no good evidence that organic produce is universally more nutritious.“

She isn’t convinced organic groceries are worth the increased price.

“If your priority is supporting a particular agricultural production system, or you simply prefer a particular product, organic may absolutely be worth the premium to you,” Dr Beckett said.

“If you’re paying extra because you think an organic strawberry is dramatically more nutritious than a conventional strawberry, the evidence doesn’t really support that expectation.

“There can be differences in organic meat, particularly in its fatty-acid profile, but that doesn’t mean every organic steak is nutritionally superior to every conventional steak.”

Paediatric nutritionist Mandy Sacher suggests mixing up organic and non-organic purchases to help alleviate the cost.

“For me, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” Sacher told nine.com.au.

“If your budget allows you to buy everything organic, wonderful, but I would never want parents to feel that conventional fruit and vegetables aren’t worth eating.

“Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is far more important than avoiding them because you can’t afford organic.”

Sacher tends to prioritise organic when it is a food eaten frequently and for produce where the skin is eaten, including berries, leafy greens, and herbs.

“For foods with thick skins or peels that we discard, I may be less concerned. I’d rather see families spend strategically,” she said.

“Buy organic where it matters most to you, buy seasonal produce, wash fruit and vegetables well, shop locally where possible and don’t let the pursuit of perfect food make healthy eating unaffordable.“