Organic Goods: Healthy Food or Expensive Fodder?

Transcription

1 Organic Goods: Healthy Food or Expensive Fodder? By: Bryan Naelitz, Patricia Betonio, Audrey Crawford, Eisik Fleischman, Victoria Grabinski, Laura McDiarmid, Summer Scott, Jordan Wade

2 Healthcare Belief Organic foods are healthier, safer, and tastier than conventional, non-organic foods. The health benefit of organic food is significant and worth the additional expense.

3 Initial Group Vote Organic food healthier, safer, tastier: 6 Organic food offers no additional benefit: 2

4 Background

5 Background Organic Farming Definition A form of agriculture that relies on natural forms of pest control and fertilizer Herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides include natural sources such as bone meal and pyrethrin Fertilizers include manure and composed materials Excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or human waste. Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMOs) are not considered to be organic USDA national Organic Standards Board defines organic agriculture as: an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.

6 Background Organic Certification Program 100 Percent Organic Products must be completely organic or made entirely of organic ingredients Organic 95% of the products ingredients must be classified as organic Made with Organic Ingredients 70% of the products ingredients must be classified as organic Organic Business $63 billion dollar business in 2012 Organic market growing 8.9% each year 0.9% of total farmland is considered to be organic 3300 organic markets in United States

7 Background Psychology: 60% of people would choose organic food over conventionally produced food if the two were priced equally Organic foods perceived to have better sensory attributes, lower pesticide levels, and higher nutrient levels

8 Group Hypothesis The medical literature will reveal that organic food has statistically significant health benefits, nutritional value, and taste over conventional, non-organic food.

9 Williams Cambridge Review Woese et al. Review Study (1997): Higher nitrate concentrations in conventionally grown food Higher vitamin C levels in organically produced food Likely due to lower water content Lampkin s Review Study (1990): Photon emission measurements used Higher photon emission measurements in organically grown foods Does a higher cell energy level reflect a greater capacity for energy transfer to the consumer?

10 Williams Cambridge Review Organic vs. Conventional Foods in Animal & Human Reproductive Health: Organically fed rodents may have had higher fertility and stillborn offspring Farmers on organic diets may have had higher semen counts

11 Data Analysis Results inconclusive Conflicting data Studies flawed in design, limited in number Conclusions flawed e.g. photon emission measurements invalid in terms of cell and metabolism Only minimal differences detected Likely no health implications

12 Bourne and Prescott s Comparison Nutritional value chemical analysis, fertilizer treatments, org. & conv. managed farms, animal and human health Sensory qualities discrimination methods Food safety

13 Data Analysis Non-significant differences in nutritional value except for nitrate content (lower in organic foods) Difficult viable conclusions from varying study designs, confounding variables, and other factors affecting crop composition Mixed findings for sensory-based studies; inconsistent; difficult to interpret

14 Magkos Organic Peace of Mind Less pesticides in organic food- difference not significant enough to have a large impact Pesticides from conventional food can accidentally contaminate organic products during shipping/storage Environmental pollutants can t always be controlled Natural toxin has a higher rate of occurrence in organic food than conventional food Natural toxins are no better than synthetic toxins No visible difference between fungal infection rate in organic and conventional foodstuffs Verdict: Organic food is technically better if very small differences count as evidence

15 Smith-Spangler s Systematic Review Unclear and contradicting data lead to the need for a systemic review for whether organic food is notionally better than conventional food. 17 studies done on humans and 223 studies on nutrient and contaminant levels in food show there is a negligible difference between organic and conventional food concerning allergic outcomes in subjects (organic foods were thought not to cause reactions as much as conventional foods) The only notable nutritional disparity concerned the amount of phosphorus detected in conventionally grown food

16 Data Analysis There is no strong evidence that shows that organic food is healthier, more nutritionally dense, or that it does not cause allergic reactions as much as conventional food. However, there may be a slightly elevated count of bacteria on conventional foods.

17 Conclusion The hypothesis that organic foods are healthier, tastier, and safer was not substantiated. In fact, there is a dearth of positive evidence to confirm any component of the hypothesis. A few studies illuminated the possibility of small differences in micronutrient concentrations between organic and conventional food groups, but these disparities are hardly conclusive or consistently reproducible. Most studies regarding taste, harm, benefit, and nutritional value conclude there is no statistically significant difference between organic and conventional options. Consequently, there is no positive evidence that one should purchase organic food over cheaper and longer-lasting conventional options. Though more research (especially using human populations) must be conducted to conclusively answer this question, there is certainly no consensus that organic foods result in improved health or longevity. Save your money and pass on this health food fad!

18 References Blair, Robert. (2012). Organic Production and Food Quality: A Down to Earth Analysis. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. Bourn D, Prescott J (January 2012). A comparison of the nutritional value, sensory qualities, and food safety of organically and conventionally produced foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 42 (1): doi: / Faidon Magkos, Fotini Arvaniti & Antonis Zampelas (2006). Organic Food: Buying More Safety or Just Peace of Mind? A Critical Review of the Literature. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 46:1, 23-56, DOI: / Organic Foods: Are they safer? More nutritious?. (2014, January 1).. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from ?pg=2 Smith-Spangler, C; Brandeau, ML; Hunter, GE; Bavinger, JC; Pearson, M; Eschbach, PJ; Sundaram, V; Liu, H; Schirmer, P; Stave, C; Olkin, I; Bravata, DM (September 4, 2012). Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier than Conventional Alternatives?: A Systematic Review. Annals of Internal Medicine. 157 (5): Williams, Christine M. (February 2002). Nutritional quality of organic food: shades of grey or shades of green. Proceedings of the Nutritional Society. 61 (1): doi: /pns

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