Study confirms organic foods superior, Canadian organic growers say
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A major study questioning the health benefits of organic foods actually confirms their superiority, Canadian organic growers argue.
“I look at it and I think they found only good things about organic food,” said Beth McMahon, executive director of the Ottawa-based Canadian Organic Growers.
She pointed out that the Stanford study, published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, confirms that organic foods reduce exposure to pesticides and to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As well, McMahon said, there was nothing in the study to show that there was a greater food safety risk with organic products.
But the authors of the study, which has received much attention across North America, conclude there is no strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives.
“There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods, if you’re an adult and making decisions based solely on your health,” said Dr. Dena Bravata, a senior affiliate with Stanford’s Center for Health Policy.
The Stanford study is described as most comprehensive meta-analysis to date of existing studies comparing organic and conventional foods. Researchers sifted through thousands of papers and identified 237 they considered to be the most relevant to analyze. They included 17 studies of populations consuming organic and conventional diets and 223 papers that compared either the nutrient levels or the bacterial, fungal or pesticide contamination of organic and conventional food products.
The analysis revealed no consistent difference in vitamin content of organic products and only one nutrient — phosphorus — was significantly higher in organic versus conventionally grown produce. There was no difference in protein or fat content between organic and conventional milk, though evidence from a limited number of studies suggested organic milk may contain significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
They did acknowledge that organic produce is 30 per cent less likely to be contaminated with pesticides than conventional fruits and vegetables, but noted that organic foods aren’t necessarily 100 per cent free of pesticides. And they pointed out that pesticide levels of non-organic food still fell within allowable safety limits.
The study also found that organic chicken and pork appeared to reduce exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but went on to note that the clinical significance of this is unclear.
The popularity of organic foods has surged in recent years. The value of organic food products sold in Canada was estimated at $2 billion in 2008, up 66 per cent from two years earlier, according to the latest numbers from Agriculture Canada.
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