Organic - Healthier or Not? New Report

by Jillian Keenan

Organic food is no healthier than conventional food, says a report issued by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine this week.

“A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but they are unlikely to be of any public health importance,” wrote Alan Dangour, one of the report’s authors.

The findings were based on 55 research papers on the subject that were written over the past fifty years. Researchers concluded that there is no significant difference between organic and non-organic farming for 20 out of 23 nutrients, including vitamin C and iron.

The report has already provoked controversy among some organic farmers, nutritionists, and food purveyors who say that the study was flawed.

“The London team did not assess differences in key individual antioxidants, nor in total antioxidant activity, important nutrients that have been measured in several more recent studies,” said Dr. Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., chief scientist at The Organic Center, in a response to the study.

Despite the controversy, most co-op shoppers say that they will continue to buy organic produce.

“I’m not going be changing my habits based off this study,” said Ian Broderick, 23. “In the non-organic stuff, they add stuff to it like hormones and pesticides. Like those strawberries that are really big – they mutate those strawberries genetically. I don’t trust that. I just feel like it’s much safer to eat organically.”

Organic produce – a longtime favorite with co-op shoppers – has become increasingly popular across the United States over the past few years. In 2008, Americans spent $24.6 billion on organic foods – a 17 percent increase from the year before, according to an Organic Trade Association survey.