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Organic produce is nutritionally superior to so-called "conventional"
produce, according to a comprehensive review conducted by researchers from the University
of Aix-Marseille for the French food agency (AFSSA) and published in the journal Agronomy
for Sustainable Development.
"This critical literature review indicates that organic agriculture, as developed
until now, has the potential to produce high-quality products with some relevant
improvements in terms of anti-oxidant phytomicronutrients, nitrate accumulation in vegetables and toxic residue
levels," the researchers wrote.
To be recognized as "organic," a food
product must be produced without the use of genetic modification or chemical fertilizers
or pesticides, and must promote sustainable cropping methods. In the United States,
organically produced meat and dairy must be raised without the use of synthetic growth
hormones or antibiotics.
Hormones and antibiotics are banned in animal production across the board in the European
Union.
Recently the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency (FSA) reviewed existing research on the nutritional content of
organic produce concluded
that there was no difference, nutritionally, between organic and non-organic produce. The
FSA study did not examine the reasons most often given by consumers of organic produce,
namely benefits to the environment, farm workers, and consumer health due to lower chemical use.
Yet the AFSSA review calls the FSA's conclusions into question. After conducting an
"up-to-date exhaustive and critical evaluation of the nutritional and sanitary
quality of organic food,"
French researchers concluded that organic produce is clearly nutritionally superior.
Organic produce contains more minerals, such as iron and magnesium, than non-organic
produce, and higher levels of antioxidants such as phenols and salicylic acid.
"Organic plant food overall contain double the amount of phenolic compounds,"
the researchers wrote.
Animal foods produced organically contained significantly more polyunsaturated fat than
non-organic animal products. In addition, organic vegetables contained 50 percent less
nitrates than non-organic produce. No more than 6 percent of organic produce tested
contained pesticide residue. (Natural News,1.02.2009,
David Gutierrez, staff writer) http://www.naturalnews.com/027854_organic_food_nutrition.html
Sources for this story include: www.foodnavigator-usa.com; www.healthsentinel.com.
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