Organic food is not healthier
Fresh food labeled as organic has no more nutrients than conventional fresh food and parents are wasting their money paying more for organic, according to a new study by the University of Sydney.
The study says food grown without pesticides or herbicides should not be promoted as healthier and consumers would be smarter to stick with commercially grown fruit and vegetables because they are cheaper and, therefore, people can eat more of them.
The study by the School of Molecular Bioscience has been accepted for publication in the international scientific journal Critical Reviews In Food Science And Nutrition - and the results are not heartening for the organics industry.
But the study did not measure pesticide residues - one of the consumer concerns driving organic food purchases.
Organic nutrients the same as conventional
The results found that some studies discovered organic foods had higher levels of vitamin C and phosphorus than conventional foods, but on closer scrutiny it was discovered there was little difference between the nutrient levels.
"We conclude from the analysis that the nutrient composition differs very little between foods that are produced by organic and conventional methods," Associate Professor Samir Samman told The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
He said tests conducted on the fatty acid composition of organic and conventional food showed minimal difference between them, with some tests even showing organic eggs had greater concentration of saturated (bad) fats than non-organic.
"This is counter-intuitive since we think of organic as healthier and assume that they will have lower saturated fat," he said.
He said while health professionals often advised patients to eat organic, this was not necessarily good advice.
"Some health professionals believe that organic foods have more nutrients and elicit favourable effects on health. This advice is given despite the lack of scientific evidence to support it.
Organics industry dispute the study
Organic Federation of Australia chairman Andre Leu rejected the study results, saying other long-term reports had found organic food was higher in nutrients than non-organic food.
Mr Leu said that most people who bought organics did so because they were worried about the level of pesticide residue in conventional food, a question not addressed by the study.
"When you look at why people buy organic food, it's for health reasons, and the number-one reason is pesticide residue," he said.
"Studies show there is no or next to no pesticide residue in organic produce. There is no real scientific data that shows the safety of pesticides in the human body, especially in children."
But Professor Samman said that pesticides on fruit and vegetables could be washed off.
Professor Samman's team also analysed the nutritional content of food bought from conventional shops and organic stores, and found that with oils such as olive, peanut and canola, the method of production [organic or conventional] has no real impact on the composition of the fatty acids contained in the food.
The same result was found for eggs. His team is now conducting research on nuts, dairy foods and meat.
He says it's more important to simply consume as many fruit and vegetables as possible rather than worrying about whether they are organic.
"The really important thing for consumers is that they continue to consume fruits and vegetables regardless of the source, because this is going to bring about health benefits," he advises.
"If you only eat one organic apple because that's all you can afford, instead of having two conventional apples, surely you're better off having two."
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This story was written by Alex Brooks for Kidspot, Australia's best family health resource, from sources including Sunday Telegraph, ABC's Landline and the University of Sydney.
Last revised: Monday, 10 May 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.
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