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Is Organic Food Better?

A BBC Horizon programme, ‘Professor Regan's Supermarket Secrets' due to be broadcast on Tuesday, 26 February claims that there is little scientific evidence of organically produced food having any nutritional differences or benefits compared to non-organic food.

Robin Maynard, Campaigns Director of the Soil Association said,
"Contrary to the programme's assertions there's a large body of scientific evidence indicating significant nutritional differences between organic and non organic food. And the programme is well past its sell-by date when it comes to the latest published, peer-reviewed scientific evidence - only last November the British Journal of Nutrition last year published research showing a significantly lower incidence of eczema in children fed on organic dairy products compared to children consuming non-organic dairy products. And early results of the extensive £12 million 4-year EU Quality Low-Input Food study published in October indicated organic fruit and vegetables contain 40% more antioxidants compared to non-organic foodstuffs. The results also showed higher levels of other beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc.

"The Food Standards Agency (FSA) accepts the evidence of nutritional differences; it is currently reviewing its position on organic food in the light of the gathering body of evidence that indicate that these also bring health benefits. While the FSA deliberates, consumers are making their minds up based on the available published science with a healthy dose of common sense. The fact that nearly 40 pesticides, which officials and industry assured the public were perfectly safe, have been banned or withdrawn from use over the past decade - including 2 just last year - shows science can lag behind public concerns. Presenter, Professor Regan, describes her lack of concern about pesticides as ‘silly' - perhaps her most accurate comment. As an obstetrician, she seems strangely unaware of the well-established links between pesticides and human reproductive problems."