Organic food 'better for you'

Organic produce has a higher nutritional value than ordinary food, a study revealed today.

The ’Quality Low Input Food’ project, funded by the European Union, has found a general trend in its data, showing that organic food contains “less of the baddies” than conventional produce.

Professor Carlo Leifert, the co-ordinator of the €17m four-year project, said: “We have shown there are more of certain nutritionally desirable compounds and less of the baddies in organic foods, or improved amounts of the fatty acids you want and less of those you don’t want”.

He said that while there were significant variations, up to 40% more antioxidants could be found in organic fruit and vegetables than in non-organic varieties, adding: “The most amazing differences are in milk”, because organic milk can contain more than 60% more antioxidants and desirable fatty acids.

His team of researchers grew fruit, vegetables and reared cattle on adjacent organic and non-organic sites across Europe, including a 725-acre farm attached to Newcastle University, and systematically investigated produce from the different farming techniques.

“Our research is trying to find out where the difference between organic and conventional food comes from,” he explained.

“What we’re really interested in is finding out why there is so much variability with respect to the differences. What in the agricultural system gives a higher nutritional content and less of the baddies in the food?”

He said he hoped the findings would help farmers in organic and low-input farming – for example, to improve milk quality.

Results of the project are due to be published over the next 12 months.