The "organic is safer" claims took a heavy hit from recent research in Michigan which found a high incidence of Toxoplasma gondi in organically-raised pigs.
T. gondi is a parasite that can infest humans who eat unprocessed pork products.
Researchers who studied 33 organically-raised pigs from two
Michigan farms found that 17 were infested with the parasites which can pass to
humans who eat their pork.
They pick it up from rooting in outdoors earth; it's part of the organic protocol to let the pigs go outdoors.
The situation with organically-raised pigs contrasts with a
steady decline of T. gondi in commercially-raised pigs over the last 20 years,
say the researchers.
But don't expect the facts to change the minds of organic purists. They've got the religion!
