Organic food has no nutritional superiority over ordinary food

The results of their review reveal that there is little difference in nutritional value of the organic food and inorganic food. No evidence of any extra health benefits from eating organic produce was established by the researchers.

Higher price tag due to perceived value only
For the purpose of the study, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examined the data on nutrition and health benefits for half a century. They included 55 out of the 162 studies reviewed, in the final analysis.

Study leader Dr. Alan Dangour noted that the difference in nutritional value between organic and conventionally produced food was too small to affect the human health.

Dangour said, “A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance.”

"Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority," he added.

The findings indicate that customers paid a higher price for organic food primarily due to its perceived health benefits. The global organic market was estimated to be around $48 billion in 2007.

Gill Fine, FSA director of consumer choice and dietary health said of the findings, "Ensuring people have accurate information is absolutely essential in allowing us all to make informed choices about the food we eat."

She said that the study does not imply that people should stop eating organic food.

The present research was commissioned by the British government's Food Standards Agency. The findings of the same have been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Concept of organic foods
The production of organic foods entails certain specific standards to be adopted. Since times immemorial, agriculture has been described as organic; however with the advent of new synthetic chemicals in the food supply chain, the concept has changed.

The organic production does away with the use of conventional non-organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. These chemicals are used only as a last resort. Certain non-organic fertilizers are still used regularly in organic farming.

When the concept is extended to livestock, it entails the rearing of domestic animals without the everyday use of antibiotics and devoid of growth hormones.

The organic food industry is heavily regulated. The producers of organic foods are required to obtain a special certification in the European Union and the United States in order to market food as "organic".