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US study finds organic food buyers pay a premium for little return but industry disagrees

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/us-study-finds-organic-food-buyers-pay-a-premium-for-little-return-but-industry-disagrees/story-e6frea83-1226464218828 (http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/us-study-finds-organic-food-buyers-pay-a-premium-for-little-return-but-industry-disagrees/story-e6frea83-1226464218828)

ORGANIC food eaters are paying top dollar with little evidence of its benefits, a review has found.

Stanford University researchers concluded there is scant nutritional difference between organic produce and cheaper versions after analysing hundreds of food studies on fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, milk, poultry and eggs.

However, organic goods had far lower pesticide residue levels and consuming organic chicken and pork appeared to cut exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

"Despite the widespread perception that organically produced foods are more nutritious than conventional alternatives, we did not find robust evidence to support this perception," a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine stated.

"There isn't much difference between organic and conventional foods if you're an adult and making a decision based solely on your health,'' senior author Dena Bravata said.

"The evidence does not suggest marked health benefits from consuming organic versus conventional foods.''

Organic food is generally produced without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers or routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones.

The team found organic produce 30 per cent less likely to be contaminated with pesticides, but noted levels in all foods were within safety limits.

RMIT University's Liza Oates said most organic customers wanted to avoid pesticides and antibiotics, especially for children.

"Most also say that the environmental and social benefits play a key role in their decision,'' she said.

Organic Federation of Australia spokesman Tim Marshall said other research had shown superior vitamin content and nutrients in organic food especially vitamin C, zinc, phosphorous and selenium.

He said the latest review was unreliable because the analysed studies were not across the same food varieties, soil type, season, weather and farming methods.

The team reviewed 240 European and American studies comparing nutrients or bacterial, fungal or pesticide contamination.

Damien and Shey Angove, of Largs North, shop for fruit and vegetables twice a week.

While the family enjoys their fruit and veg, they don't consume much, if any, organic produce.

Mr Angove said he usually chose fruit that was affordable and in season.

"We like buying Adelaide grown fruit and vegetables,'' he said.

He wasn't surprised to hear that organic fruit wasn't nutritionally better than conventional produce

"Australian standards are good for all that sort of stuff - we know we're not going to be eating anything that's going to harm us," Mr Angove said.