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2009-07-30 08:36:33
Wed Jul 29, 12:29 pm ET
LONDON (Reuters) Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over
ordinary food, according to a major study published Wednesday.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said
consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its perceived
health benefits, creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48
billion in 2007.
A systematic review of 162 scientific papers published in the scientific
literature over the last 50 years, however, found there was no significant
difference.
"A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between
organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but these are unlikely to
be of any public health relevance," said Alan Dangour, one of the report's
authors.
"Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the
selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of
nutritional superiority."
The results of research, which was commissioned by the British government's
Food Standards Agency, were published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.
Sales of organic food have fallen in some markets, including Britain, as
recession has led consumers to cut back on purchases.
The Soil Association said in April that growth in sales of organic products in
Britain slowed to just 1.7 percent in 2008, well below the average annual
growth rate of 26 percent over the last decade, following a plunge in demand at
the end of the year.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Simon Jessop)