Why is it better to consume organic dried fruits?
The consumption of organic dried fruits began because of the concern of the consumers when they realize that the products that they consumed were full of pesticides, and other products that transformed the fruits so that they grow bigger and faster and also they add different colors. In addition, these same products are harmful to the environment.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); is responsible for regulating and certifying that the products are actually organic. It should be consider that for a food to be cataloged organic must be produced without chemicals, fertilizers and that are not genetically modified.
Unfortunately these days, many of the products we consume everyday are not organic due to the demand for food in the world, so it can become difficult to find products that are organic because when using chemicals we can increase the speed of growth, as well as avoid pests that can ruin the harvest. For a food to be considered organic during its cultivation, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides must not be used in the fruits or vegetables or in the soil where they are cultivated.
Organic agriculture is not new, and it includes all agricultural production systems that use natural processes to improve their productivity. The objective is to be able to improve productivity (increase production) to meet the growing demand, which grows year-on-year due to population growth. However, the difference is that this sustainable growth takes care of biodiversity and the environment.
The principles of organic agriculture are due to the principles of biodynamic agriculture initiated by Rudolf Steiner in 1924 and permaculture. Biodynamic agriculture deals with the spiritual and holistic understanding of nature. On the other hand, the concept of permaculture was developed by Bill Mollison in the 70’s who explained it as an interdisciplinary science of the land.
Permaculture is a system that designs the landscape and society works to conserve energy or generate more energy than it consumes (for example: firewood, fuel obtained from crops, among others) and work on lands that no longer have nutrients; by planting something in the soil the fruits absorb nutrients from the soil, so if is not done properly, by rotating crops, the soil can lose its nutrients and minerals and no longer serve as cultivated land.
When it comes to animal products, for example: cheese, milk or meat, producers should take care of nourishment of the animals and ensure that the grains they eat do not contain any type of pesticide or fertilizer. In addition, they also need to check out the medicines that could have been administered to animals, which can sometimes have an impact on our health. Sometimes, animals are injected with hormones, which cause damage to the hormonal cycles of women or some types of cancer.
What are the benefits of organic dried fruits?
In first instance, it contributes to the protection of the planet by reducing the amount of harmful chemicals in the environment, which helps to preserve soil fertility, it also helps to do an environmentally friendly production, maintain and improve people’s health (pesticides are related to problems with the digestive system or intoxications).
The benefits of including organic dried fruits in our nutrition are that we avoid environmental damage with pesticides; they are not genetically modified fruits that can cause us diseases or problems derived from these pesticides or hormones (in case of consuming meat, cheese or milk).
It is important to highlight that organic dried fruits have more antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients because their growth period is respected, also these fruits don´t have pesticides, chemicals, fertilizer or any synthetic additive.
When consuming an organic product it is possible noticed that the flavor, color and even aroma are different from other fruits in supermarkets. Usually, regular fruits have chemicals to make them look more appetizing or larger, or even to last longer (conservatives). At first glance it might seem that a fruit that is not organic is healthier or tastes better. However, all that is product of chemicals so it is not natural or healthier than an organic one.
Another benefit is that you get by consuming organic products is that we can be supporting (not just with likes in our social networks) to join a movement for the environment; thinking about water, air and land. In addition, a factor that is often forgotten is that when consuming organic products helps the economy of farmers and their families so they can continue with this noble business, taking care of the environment and our health at every stage of the farming process.
Farmers who produce organic products maintain traditional practices to ensure that products are of the highest quality and to ensure it; the products must pass through certifications and studies that assure to the consumer that they are consuming natural products and of the best quality. They make visits to the place where they are produced to verify how they are cultivated, that they comply with the quality and hygiene necessary to be beneficial for our health and to avoid digestive problems, intoxications or dizziness. These studies are carried out periodically to take care of the quality of each crop.
Some of the fruits and vegetables produced in an organic way showed an increase in the indexes of minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, which translates into a greater contribution of nutrients for those who consume them.
The benefits of organic dried fruit include a long list of properties for the health of consumers and producers, as well as for the conservation of the environment. Fruits of this type are those produced by processes established according to recognized standards among which is avoided the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones, transgenic elements and a wide range of methods that can harm the environment.
In Mexico, due to the richness of the soil, climate and extension, a great diversity of organic vegetables and fruits can be cultivated that meet the standards requested by the USDA. We are concerned that each of the fruits we receive is of the highest quality. For this reason, at Instantia we are looking for suppliers that comply with the certifications that demonstrate that their products are organic; in addition we are compromised with visiting them periodically to verify that their products have the quality that we need to satisfy our customers.
Our company is a leading global natural food company, always focused on working together with the local producers which allow us to get the best product with the highest quality. And we prove it by paying farmers just enough to support their work, their employees and families so that organic agriculture continues to grow.
We are committed to the ecosystem; we know that we are part of something big. We take care of the people and the earth that make us what we are and give us what we have. Therefore, after receiving the fruits of the farmers, we analyze them to verify the quality of each of the fruits, complying with the quality standards and organic certifications. In addition of working with fruits that comply with these standards (soil and fruits free of chemicals); we must also carry out a process that takes care of each of the fruits to keep them free of chemicals.
To achieve this, we take care of every aspect of our drying process, starting with the cutting of the fruits, then when they go to the drying process, we have ovens where we can regulate the temperature (the temperature can vary depending on the fruit) so that they maintain their nutrients and the process is natural, free of chemicals. The process of drying with oven is the most natural that exist since there is nothing else added to the fruits.
Sometimes people ask us why not we dry the fruits outdoors with the sun, because of the pollutants that exist in the environment; also we could attract insects that will contaminate the fruits, as well as the air pollution. The ovens help us to maintain the quality of our fruits, as well as control the temperature so that nutrients are not lost.
On the other hand, there are dried products to which companies add additives or preservatives (at this point the chain breaks and they are no longer organic) to change the color or to last longer. At Instantia, we are concerned about keeping our products 100% natural so we do not add preservatives or any substances that may be harmful to health. In addition, our products do not contain added sugar to take care of our customers’ nutrition and health.
We are a company that is constantly innovating in order to have the best alternative for our customers for whom we work 365 days a year offering the best service in the industry. We are constantly doing research to apply new processes that help us to produce more and better products, our commitment is with our customers´ health and happiness. Begin a healthy life with Instantia dried fruits!