Organic food not healthier, says FSA

Eating organic food does not provide any significant nutritional or health benefits, according to a study published this week.

An independent review commissioned by the Food Standards Agency found there were no important differences between organic and conventionally produced food.
The conclusion was reached after a team of researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine reviewed all papers published over the last 50 years relating to nutrient content and health differences between the two kinds of produce.
Organic farming means no artificial chemical fertilisers are used, pesticide use is restricted and animals are expected to be free range.
But the paper reporting the results of the review – published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – appears to cast doubt on the potential benefits to people’s health from the method.
Says principal author Dr Alan Dangour:“A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced crops and livestock, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance.

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