| Organic food is no healthier than ordinary food, a | | | | Ensuring people have accurate information is |
| large independent research has concluded. | | | | absolutely essential in allowing us all to make |
| Apparently, there is little difference in nutritional | | | | educated choices about the food we eat. What it |
| value and no evidence of any extra health | | | | shows is that there is little, if any, nutritional |
| benefits from eating organically produced food, | | | | difference between organic and conventionally |
| UK researchers found. The Food Standards | | | | produced food. There is no evidence of additional |
| Agency who conducted the report said the | | | | health benefits from eating organic food. The |
| results would help people make an "educated | | | | review indicates that there is currently no |
| choice". Among the 55 of 162 studies that were | | | | evidence to support the selection of organically |
| included in the final analysis, there were a small | | | | over conventionally produced foods on the basis |
| number of differences in nutrition between organic | | | | of nutritional superiority. |
| and conventionally produced food but not large | | | | The review rejected almost all of the existing |
| enough to be of any public health | | | | studies of comparisons between organic and |
| relevance. | | | | non-organic nutritional differences. There is not |
| Overall the report, which is published in the | | | | sufficient research on the long-term effects of |
| American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found no | | | | pesticides on human health. This topic requires |
| differences in most nutrients in organically or | | | | much more research to draw clear in between |
| conventionally grown crops, including in vitamin C, | | | | organic and inorganic foods. The researchers say |
| calcium, and iron. The same was true for studies | | | | that the differences between organic and |
| looking at meat, dairy and eggs. Differences that | | | | non-organic food are not 'important'. Due to |
| were detected, for example in levels of nitrogen | | | | insufficient research, they report in their analysis |
| and phosphorus, were most likely to be due to | | | | that there are higher levels of beneficial nutrients |
| differences in fertilizer use and ripeness at | | | | in organic compared to non-organic foods but |
| harvest and are unlikely to provide any health | | | | more reasearch is needed. |
| benefit. | | | | |