3,353
Views
193
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

Organic food: nutritious food or food for thought? A review of the evidence

, &
Pages 357-371 | Published online: 06 Jul 2009

References

  • Abbott JA (1999): Quality measurement of fruits and vegetables. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 15, 207–225.
  • Adam D (2001): Nutritionists question study of organic food. Nature 412, 666.
  • Aehnelt E & Hahn J (1978): Animal fertility: a possibility for biological quality-assay of fodder and feeds? BioDy- namics 125, 36–47.
  • Alvarez CE, Carracedo AE, Iglesias E & Martinez MC (1993): Pineapples cultivated by conventional and organic methods in a soil from a banana plantation *a compara- tive study of soil fertility, plant nutrition and yields. Biol. Agric. Horticult. 9, 161–171.
  • Alvarez CE, Ortega A, Fernandez M & Borges AA (2001): Growth, yield and leaf nutrient content of organically grown banana plants in the Canary islands. Fruits Paris 56, 17–26.
  • Auclair L, Zee JA, Karam A & Rochat E (1995): Nutritive value, organoleptic quality and productivity of green- house tomatoes in relation to production method:
  • organic *conventional *hydroponic. Sci. Des. Alim. 15, 511–528.
  • Bordeleau G, Myers-Smith I, Midak M & Szeremeta A (2002): Food Quality: A Comparison of Organic and Conventional Fruits and Vegetables. Frederiksberg, Den- mark: Organic Farming Group at Hojbakkegaard/Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL).
  • Bourn D & Prescott J (2002): A comparison of the nutritional value, sensory qualities, and food safety of organically and conventionally produced foods. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 42, 1–34.
  • Bourn DM (1994): The nutritional value of organically and conventionally grown food * is there a difference? Proc. Nutr. Soc. NZ 19, 51–
  • Brandt K Molgaard JP (2001): Organic agriculture: does it enhance or reduce the nutritional value of plant foods? J. Sci. Food Agric. 81, 924 - 931
  • Browne AW, Harris PJC, Hofny-Collins AH, Pasiecznik N
  • & Wallace RR (2000): Organic production and ethicaltrade: definition, practice and links. Food Policy 25, 69–89.
  • Campbell J, Hauser M & Hill S (1991): Characteristics of organic, freshly stone-ground sourdough and conven- tional breads. Quebec, Canada: Ecological Agriculture Projects/McGill University.
  • Chakhovskii IA (1981): Use of fertilizers and the quality of wheat protein. Vopr. Pitan 4, 48–52.
  • Clarke RP & Merrow SB (1979): Nutrient composition of tomatoes homegrown under different cultural procedures. Ecol. Food Nutr. 8, 37–46.
  • DeEll JR & Prange RK (1992): Postharvest quality and sensory attributes of organically and conventionally grown apples. HortScience 27, 1096–1099.
  • DeEll JR & Prange RK (1993): Postharvest physiological disorders, diseases and mineral concentrations of organi- cally and conventionally grown McIntosh and Cortland apples. Can. J. Plant Sci. 73, 223–230.
  • Dlouhy J (1977): The quality of plant products conventional and bio-dynamic management. BioDynamics 124, 28 -32. Eppendorfer WH & Eggum BO (1996): Fertilizer effects on yield, mineral and amino acid composition, dietary fibre content and nutritive value of leeks. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 49, 163–174.
  • Eppendorfer WH, Eggum BO & Bille SW (1979): Nutritive value of potato crude protein as influenced by manuring and amino acid composition. J. Sci. Food Agric. 30, 361–368.
  • FAO (1999): FAO Committee on Agriculture. 15th Session: Organic Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Orga- nization.
  • FAO/ITC/CTA (2001): World Markets for Organic Fruit and Vegetables. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Trade Centre, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation.
  • Finesilver T, Johns T & Hill SB (1989): Comparison of food quality of organically versus conventionally grown plant foods. Quebec, Canada: Ecological Agriculture Projects/ McGill University.
  • Fjelkner-Modig S, Bengtsson H, Stegmark R & Nystrom S (2000): The influence of organic and integrated produc- tion on nutritional, sensory and agricultural aspects of vegetable raw materials for food production. Acta Agric. Scand. B Soil Plant Sci. 50, 102–113.
  • Goldman IL, Kader AA & Heintz C (1999): Influence of production, handling, and storage on phytonutrient content of foods. Nutr. Rev. 57, S46–S52. Greene C (2000): US Organic agriculture gaining ground.
  • Agric. Outlook 270, 9–14.
  • Gronowska-Senger A, Dudek M & Pierzynowska J (1997): Evaluation of beta-carotene bioavailability from selected vegetables grown by conventional and ecologic methods. Rocz. Panstw. Zakl. Hig. 48, 145–148.
  • Harris B, Burress D & Eicher S (2000): Demand for Local and Organic Produce: A Brief Review of the Literature. Lawrence, Kansas, USA: Institute for Public Policy and Business Research/University of Kansas.
  • Heaton S (2001): Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health: A Review of the Evidence. Bristol: Soil Associa- tion.
  • Hornick SB (1992): Factors affecting the nutritional quality of crops. Am. J. Altern. Agric. 7, 63–68.
  • Jukes TH (1974): The organic food myth. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 230, 276–277.
  • Jukes TH (1975): What you can tell your patients about ‘organic’ foods. Med. Times 103, 75–81.
  • Jukes TH (1977): Organic food. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 9,395 - 418.
  • Khader V & Rama S (1998): Selected mineral content of common leafy vegetables consumed in India at different stages of maturity. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 53, 71–81.
  • Knorr D & Vogtmann H (1983): Quality and quality determination of ecologically grown foods. In Sustainable Food Systems, ed. D Knorr, pp. 352–381. London: Ellis Horwood.
  • Korcak RF (1992): Early roots of the organic movement: a plant nutrition perspective. HortTechnology 2, 263–267.
  • Kumaran SS, Natarajan S & Thamburaj S (1998): Effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on growth, yield and quality of tomato. South Ind. Hort. 46, 203–205.
  • Kumpulainen J (2001): Organic and conventional grown foodstuffs: Nutritional and toxicological quality compar- isons. Proc. Int. Fert. Soc. 472, 1–20.
  • Lairon D, Lafont H, Leonardi J, Spitz N & Reynier M (1983): Studies of yield and food quality of vegetables grown under organic and mineral fertilization. In En- vironmentally Sound Agriculture * Proceedings of the 4th IFOAM International Scientific Conference, ed. W Lock- eretz, pp. 408–409. New York: Praeger.
  • Lairon D, Spitz N, Termine E, Ribaud P, Lafont H & Hauton J (1984): Effect of organic and mineral nitrogen fertilization on yield and nutritive value of butterhead lettuce. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 34, 97–108.
  • Lairon D, Termine E, Gautier S, Trouilloud M, Lafont H & Hauton JC (1986): Effects of organic and mineral fertilizations on the contents of vegetables in minerals, vitamin C and nitrates. In The Importance of Biological Agriculture in a World of Diminishing Resources *Pro- ceedings of the 5th IFOAM International Scientific Con- ference, eds H Vogtmann, E Boehncke & I Fricke, pp. 249–260. Witzenhausen, Germany: Verlagsgruppe Wit- zenhausen.
  • Lecerf JM (1995): L’agriculture biologique. Interet en nutrition humaine? Cah. Nutr. Diet. 30, 349–357.
  • Leclerc J, Miller ML, Joliet E & Rocquelin G (1991): Vitamin and mineral contents of carrot and celeriac grown under mineral or organic fertilization. Biol. Agric. Hort. 7, 339–348.
  • Lee SK & Kader AA (2000): Preharvest and postharvest factors influencing vitamin C content of horticultural crops. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 20, 207–220.
  • Linder MC (1973): A review of the evidence for food quality differences in relation to fertilization of the soil with organic and mineral fertilizers. BioDynamics 107, 1–12.
  • Locascio SJ, Wilkbank WJ, Gull DD & Maynard DN (1984): Fruit and vegetable quality as affected by nitrogen nutrition. In Nitrogen in Crop Production, ed. RD Hauck, pp. 617–626. Madison, WI: American Society of Agron- omy.
  • Lockeretz W, Shearer G & Kohl DH (1981): Organic farming in the Corn Belt. Science 211, 540–547.
  • Lohr L (2001): Factors affecting international demand and trade in organic food products. In Changing Structure of Global Food Consumption and Trade, ed. A Regmi, pp. 67–79. Washington, DC: USDA/Economic Research Service.
  • Lopez MA, Cosano GZ, Rojas RM & Garcia-Gimeno RM (1996): Mineral content modifications during ripening of
  • asparagus (Asparagus officinalis, L.). Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 49, 13–26.
  • Mader P, Pfiffner L, Niggli U, Balzer U, Balzer F, Plochberger K, Velimirov A & Besson JM (1993): Effect of three farming systems (bio-dynamic, bio-organic, conventional) on yield and quality of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. var. esculenta L.) in a seven year crop rotation. Acta Hort. 339, 10–31.
  • Magnusson MK, Arvola A & Koivisto-Hursti UK (2001): Attitudes towards organic foods among Swedish consu- mers. Br. Food J. 103, 209–226.
  • Makatouni A (2002): What motivates consumers to buy organic food in the UK?: Results from a qualitative study. Br. Food J. 104, 345–352.
  • McCarrison R (1926): The effect of manurial conditions on the nutritive and vitamin values of millet and wheat. Indian J. Med. Res. 14, 351–378.
  • McSheehy TW (1975): Reproductive performance of rabbits on organic and inorganic leys. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 25, 193–203.
  • McSheehy TW (1977): Nutritive value of wheat grown under organic and chemical systems of farming. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 27, 113–123.
  • Millard P (1986): The nitrogen content of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers in relation to nitrogen application * the effect on amino acid composition and yields. J. Sci. Food Agric. 37, 107–114.
  • Morkeberg A & Porter JR (2001): Organic movement reveals a shift in the social position of science. Nature 412, 677.
  • Mozafar A (1996): Decreasing the NO3 and increasing the vitamin C contents in spinach by a nitrogen deprivation method. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 49, 155–162.
  • Muller K & Hippe J (1987): Influence of differences in nutrition on important quality characteristics of some agricultural crops. Plant Soil 100, 35–45.
  • Pabst K (1994): Organic milk *is the change worthwhile?
  • Tierzuchter 46, 22–32.
  • Peavy WS & Greig JK (1972): Organic and mineral fertilizers compared by yield, quality, and composition of spinach. J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. 97, 718–723.
  • Perez-Llamas F, Navarro I, Marin JF, Madrid JA & Zamora S (1996): Comparative study on the nutritive quality of foods grown organically and conventionally. Alimentaria 34, 41–44.
  • Pettersson BD (1977): A comparison between conventional and big-dynamic farming systems as indicated by yields and quality. BioDynamics 124, 19–27.
  • Pirisi A, Piredda G, Sitzia M & Fois N (2002): Organic and conventional systems: composition and cheese-making aptitude of Sarda ewes’ milk. In Organic Meat and Milk from Ruminants: Proceedings of a joint international conference organised by the Hellenic Society, eds I Kyriazakis & G Zervas, pp. 143–146. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers.
  • Plochberger K (1989): Feeding experiments. A criterion for quality estimation of biologically and conventionally produced foods. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 27, 419–428.
  • Plochberger K & Velimirov A (1992): Are food preferences tests with laboratory rats a proper method for evaluating nutritional quality? Biol. Agric. Hort. 8, 221–233.
  • Premuzic Z, de los Rios A, Accorinti C, Clozza M, Vilella F, Mirabelli E, Fernandez JA, Martinez PF & Castilla N (2001): Influence of fertilisation on the production and
  • Vitamin C and sugar content of ‘Cherry’ tomatoes. Acta Hort. 559, 601–606.
  • Ragasits I & Kismanyoky T (2000): Effects of organic and inorganic fertilization on wheat quality. Novenytermeles 49, 527–532.
  • Reinken G (1986): Six years of biodynamic growing of vegetables and apples in comparison with the conven- tional farm management. In The Importance of Biological Agriculture in a World of Diminishing Resources *Pro- ceedings of the 5th IFOAM International Scientific Con- ference, eds H Vogtmann, E Boehncke & I Fricke, pp. 161–174. Witzenhausen, Germany: Verlagsgruppe Wit- zenhausen.
  • Rembialkowska E (1998): A comparison of selected para- meters of potatoes health quality from ecologically oriented and conventional farms. Rocz. Panstw. Zakl. Hig. 49, 159–167.
  • Sansavini S & Wollesen J (1992): The organic farming movement in Europe. HortTechnology 2, 276–281.
  • Schifferstein HNJ & Oude Ophuis PAM (1998): Health- related determinants of organic food consumption in the Netherlands. Food Qual. Pref. 9, 119–133.
  • Schuphan W (1974): Nutritional value of crops as influenced byorganic and inorganic fertilizer treatments. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 23, 333–358.
  • Scott PP, Greaves JP & Scott MG (1960): Reproduction in laboratory animals as a measure of the value of some natural and processed foods. J. Reprod. Fertil. 1, 130–138.
  • Shewfelt RL (1999): What is quality? Postharvest Biol.
  • Technol. 15, 197–200.
  • Shier NW, Kelman J & Dunson JW (1984): A comparison of crude protein, moisture, ash and crop yield between organic and conventionally grown wheat. Nutr. Rep. Int. 30, 71–76.
  • Shukla VKS (2001): Organic foods: present and future developments. INFORM 12, 495–499.
  • Smith BL (1993): Organic foods vs. supermarket foods: elemental levels. J. Appl. Nutr. 45, 35–39.
  • Staiger D (1988): The nutritional value of foods from conventional and biodynamic agriculture * feeding trial to ascertain the effects on the fertility of rabbits. IFOAM Bull. 4, 9–12.
  • Starling W & Richards MC (1990): Quality of organically grown wheat and barley. Asp. Appl. Biol. 25, 193–198.
  • Starling W & Richards MC (1993): Quality of commercial samples of organically grown wheat. Asp. Appl. Biol. 36, 205–209.
  • Sundrum A (2001): Organic livestock farming. A critical review. Livestock Prod. Sci. 67, 207–215.
  • Taeymans D (2000): New technologies for ensuring the quality, safety and availability of food. Food Nutr. Agric. 26, 24–31.
  • Tan CC, Wang YP & Lee CC (1998): Effect of organic fertilizers on nitrate, Cu and Zn contents in vegetables. J. Agric. Forest. 47, 107–114.
  • Termine E, Lairon D, Taupier-Letage B, Gautier S, Lafont R & Lafont H (1987): Yield and content in nitrates, minerals and ascorbic acid of leeks and turnips grown under mineral or organic nitrogen fertilizations. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 37, 321–332.
  • Thiermann AB (2000): Protecting health, facilitating trade, or both? Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 916, 24–30.
  • Tregear A, Dent JB & McGregor MJ (1994): The demand for organically grown produce. Br. Food J. 96, 21–25.
  • Velimirov A, Plochberger K, Huspeka U & Schott W (1992): The influence of biologically and conventionally culti- vated food on the fertility of rats. Biol. Agric. Hort. 8, 325–337.
  • Vogtmann H (1988): From healthy soil to healthy food: an analysis of the quality of food produced under contrasting agricultural systems. Nutr. Health 6, 21–35.
  • Vogtmann H, Temperli AT, Kunsch U, Eichenberger M & Ott P (1984): Accumulation of nitrates in leafy vegetables grown under contasting agricultural systems. Biol. Agric. Hort. 2, 51–68.
  • Warman PR & Havard KA (1996): Yield, vitamin and mineral content of four vegetables grown with either composted manure or conventional fertilizer. J. Veg. Crop Prod. 2, 13–25.
  • Warman PR & Havard KA (1998): Yield, vitamin and mineral contents of organically and conventionally grown potatoes and sweet corn. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 68, 207–216.
  • Watkins SM, Hammock BD, Newman JW & German JB (2001): Individual metabolism should guide agriculture toward foods for improved health and nutrition. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 74, 283–286.
  • Wawrzyniak A, Kwiatkowski S & Gronowska-Senger A (1997): Evaluation of nitrate, nitrite and total protein content in selected vegetables cultivated conventionally and ecologically. Rocz. Panstw. Zakl. Hig. 48, 179–186.
  • Wilkins JL & Hillers VN (1994): Influences of pesticide residue and environmental concerns on organic food preference among food cooperative members and non- members in Washington State. J. Nutr. Educ. 26, 26 -33.
  • Willer H & Yussefi M (2001): Organic Agriculture Worldwide *Statistics and Future Prospects. Bad Dur- kheim: Foundation Ecology & Agriculture (SOL).
  • Williams CM (2002): Nutritional quality of organic food: shades of grey or shades of green? Proc. Nutr. Soc. 61, 19–24.
  • Woese K, Lange D, Boess C & Bogl KW (1997): A
  • comparison of organically and conventionally grown foods *results of a review of the relevant literature. J. Sci. Food Agric. 74, 281–293.
  • Wolfson JL & Shearer G (1981): Amino acid composition of grain protein grown with and without pesticides and standard commercial fertilizers. Agron. J. 73, 611–613.
  • Worthington V (1998): Effect of agricultural methods on
  • nutritional quality: a comparison of organic with conven- tional crops. Altern. Ther. Health Med. 4, 58–69.
  • Worthington V (2001): Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. J. Altern. Complement. Med. 7, 161–173.
  • Xu HL, Wang R, Mridha MAU, Goyal S & Umemura H
  • (2000): Yield and quality of leafy vegetables with organic fertilizations. In IFOAM 2000 * The World Grows Or- ganic. Proceedings of the 13th IFOAM International Scientific Conference, eds T Alfoldi, W Lockeretz & U Niggli, p. 277. Zurich: IOS Press.
  • Zangerl P, Ginzinger W, Tschager E & Lobitzer I (2000): Sensory quality and microbial load of milk products from organic farming in Austria. In IFOAM 2000 * The World Grows Organic. Proceedings of the 13th IFOAM Interna- tional Scientific Conference, eds T Alfoldi, W Lockeretz & U Niggli, p. 29. Zurich: IOS Press.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.