Are Organic Foods More Nutritious than Conventional Foods

1
Are Organic Foods More Nutritious than
Conventional Foods?

• FCS 5152
• Elizabeth Stanberry, BS

2
Topics

• Rationale
• History
• Definition and Standards
• Genetically modified foods
• Benefits of organic farming
• Pesticides and environmental concerns
• Nutritional content, food safety, and sensory
  quality of organic foods

3
Purpose

• The purpose of this research is to determine if
  organic foods are more nutritious, safer, and
  have better sensory qualities than conventional
  foods.

4
Objectives

• To understand the difference in farming
  techniques.
• To understand the organic labeling standards.
• To understand what genetically modified foods
  are.
• To determine if organic foods are safer.
• To determine if organic foods contain more
  vitamins and minerals.

5
History

• Rodale Press
• Organic gardening
• Organically produced food
• 19th century
• Jukes TH. Organic food. Critical Reviews in Food
  Science and Nutrition. 19779395-418.

6
History

• California Assembly Bill 450
• Assembly women March Fong
• Organic Foods Act of 1972
• Jukes TH. Organic food. Critical Reviews in Food
  Science and Nutrition. 19779395-418.

7
Organic Foods Act 1972

• The terms organic, organically grown,
  natural, naturally grown, wild, or similar
  terms should be used to label only
• Raw agriculture food products produced without
  chemical fertilizers and pesticides
• Processed foods manufactured from a raw
  agricultural food product
• Meat or poultry produced without chemicals or
  drugs to stimulate or regulate growth
• Jukes TH. Organic food. Critical Reviews in Food
  Science and Nutrition. 19779395-418.

8
Definition

• Websters Dictionary in 1961
• An organic substance, a fertilizer consisting
  only of matter or products of plant or animal
  origin.
• USDAs definition
• Food is organic only if it is grown without the
  use of most conventional pesticides, petroleum or
  sewage based fertilizers, genetic engineering, or
  radiation.
• Foods certified as organic must be produced
  using growing methods that minimize soil erosion
  and that maintain or enhance fertility of the
  soil.
• Jukes TH. Organic food. Critical Reviews in Food
  Science and Nutrition. 19779395-418.
• Is organic better? Harvard Womens Health Watch.
  2003101-4.
• Longbotham L, Marchetti D, Quick S. Food.
  Health. 2002168-17.

9
Organic Standards

• No fertilizers or pesticides can be applied to
  land three years prior
• Growers must use crop rotation, composting and
  natural pest control
• Products that exceed the detectable pesticide
  residues cannot be sold as organic
• Farm animals must be raised under conditions to
  enhance health. Growth hormones and regular
  antibiotic use are not allowed.
• No genetically modified organisms
• Stommes E. USDA finally tackles organic
  definition and proposes national standards.
  Environmental Nutrition. 1998214-5.

10
Genetically Modified Organisms

• Definition
• Organisms in which the genetic material (DNA)
  has been altered in a way that does not occur
  naturally.
• This allows individual genes to be transferred
  from one organism into another.
• WHO answers questions on genetically modified
  foods. Journal of Advanced Nursing.
  200341319-322.
• 20 questions on genetically modified foods.
  Available at http//www.who.int/foodsafety/public
  ations/biotch/20questions. Accessed March 1,
  2004.

11
Genetically Modified Crops
12
Genetically Modified Crops

• 2000 54 Soybeans
• 2000 25 corn
• 2000 61 cotton
• 1999 100 million acres
• Modified for
• 71 Herbicide tolerance
• 28 Insect pest resistance
• Akhter J, Qutub M, Burnham N, Akhtar M.
  Genetically modified foods health and safety
  issues. Annals of Saudi Medicine.
  200121161-164.
• Marquardt R. Trends in natural food sales and
  consumer food choices. Complementary Health
  Practice Review. 20027209-220.

13
Health Concerns

• Allergenic tendencies
• Toxicity
• Altered nutritional value
• Antibiotic immunity
• 20 questions on genetically modified foods.
  Available at http//www.who.int/foodsafety/public
  ations/biotch/20questions. Accessed March 1,
  2004.
• Akhter J, Qutub M, Burnham N, Akhtar M.
  Genetically modified foods health and safety
  issues. Annals of Saudi Medicine.
  200121161-164.
• Cummins R. Our genetically modified future.
  Nutritional Health Review The Consumers Medical
  Journal. 2002843-5.

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Benefits

• Improve crop protection
• Lower insecticide use
• Lower herbicide use
• Higher crop yields
• Withstand harsh environmental conditions
• Longer shelf lives
• Increase nutritional value
• Medicinal properties
• Increased taste and esthetic appeal
• Increased vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients
• Falk MC, Chassy BM, Hoban SK. Food biotechnology
  benefits and concerns. Journal of Nutrition.
  20021321384-1390.

15
Organic Label

• 100 Organic Contains 100 organic
  ingredients, can use USDA organic seal.
• Organic Contains 95 to 100 organic
  ingredients, can use USDA organic seal.
• Made With Organic Ingredients Contains at
  least 70 organic ingredients.
• Less Than 70 Organic Organic cannot be on
  the front label, organic ingredients can be noted
  in the ingredients list.
• Wright H. For a more healthful frozen dinner, opt
  for organic. Environmental Nutrition. 200295.
• Is organic better? Harvard Womens Health Watch.
  2003101-4.

16
Organic Label
17
Organic Food Sales

• Fasting growing agriculture department
• Doubled in cropland from 1992-1997
• 1996 - 3.5 billion
• 1999 Natural food stores 4 billion
• Today - 9 billion in sales
• Predicted growth is 10 of food supply
• Greene C, Dimitri C, Richman N. Organic marketing
  features fresh foods and direct exchange. Food
  Review. 20012438-46.
• Longbotham L, Marchetti D, Quick S. Food.
  Health. 2002168-17.

18
Why Buy?

• Less pesticides
• More nutritious
• Taste better
• Better for environment
• Audit trail needed to authenticate organic food.
  Total Health. 20022412-14.

19
Consumers perception of the benefits of eating
organic
Beharrell B, MacFie JH. Consumer attitudes to
organic foods. British Food Journal.
19919325-30.
20
Pesticides

• Organic less than conventional foods
• Prohibit synthetic pesticides
• 1/3 as likely to carry pesticide residues
  compared to conventional
• Example Organic spinach has 0.008 parts per
  million of omethoate insecticide, conventional
  spinach has 0.069 parts per million.
• Halweil B. Study affirms benefits of organic
  farming. World Watch. 2002159.

21
Pesticides

• 1997 in UK, over 25 million kilograms of
  pesticides sold
• Kills wildlife, contaminates water, leaves
  residues on food and drink
• 30 artificial chemicals
• 1 in 1000 gives headache or stomach
• Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and hormone related
  diseases
• Frost T. The benefits of organic food-our right
  to eat uncontaminated food. Positive Health.
  19994729.
• Pesticides. Pesticide News. 1999 3921.
• Colborn T. Developmental effects of endocrine
  disrupting chemicals. Environ Health Prospect.
  1998101378-384.

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Pesticides

• United States manufactures ban pesticides
• Over 45 million pounds exported
• Imported back to the United States on fruits and
  vegetables
• 80 contained pesticides
• 12 carcinogens, 17 neurotoxins, 11 that
  interfered with endocrine or reproduction
• Keon J. The arguments for eating organic
  foodsextracted with permission from the truth
  about breast cancer. Positive Health.
  19994727.

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Environmental Factors

• Organic farming reduces greenhouse gas emission
• Could reduce carbon dioxide by 2
• Uses 50 less energy

25
Environmental Factors

• Pesticides impact environment 99.9
• 9 billion per year in environmental costs
• 67 million birds killed each year from pesticides
  
• Chemicals contaminating groundwater
• 83 pesticides found
• Environmental Facts. Available at
  http//www.ota.com/organic/environment/environment
  al.html. Accessed February 16, 2004.
• Pimentel D. Environmental and socio-economic
  costs of pesticide use. Techniques for Reducing
  Pesticides. 19971071.

26
Soil

• Organic farming enhances soil fertility
• Reduces risk of erosion
• More topsoil
• Holds water better
• Reduced levels of nitrate leaching
• Dossier F. Organic farming enhances soil
  fertility and biodiversity. Organic Gardening.
  2000816.
• Meadows D. Our food, our future. Organic
  Gardening. 2000102.

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Research Studies
28
Warman Havard Study 1998

• 1990 to 1992 in Nova Scotia, Canada
• Organic vs. conventional farming techniques
• Yield, vitamins and minerals
• Potatoes and sweet corn
• Five replicates of two treatments

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Samples Collected

• Potato leaf and tubular sample
• Corn leaf and kernel sample
• Vitamins C
• Minerals
• Warman PR, Havard KA. Yield, vitamin and mineral
  contents of organically and conventionally grown
  potatoes and sweet corn. Agriculture, Ecosystems,
  and Environment. 199868207-216.

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Results of Potatoes
(Vitamin C measured in micrograms/g) (N, Ca, Mg
measured in g/kg) (Fe, Mn, Cu measured in
mg/kg)

• Warman PR, Havard KA. Yield, vitamin and mineral
  contents of organically and conventionally grown
  potatoes and sweet corn. Agriculture, Ecosystems,
  and Environment. 199868207-216.

31
Results of Sweet Corn
(Vitamin C measured in micrograms/g) (N, Ca, Mg
measured in g/kg) (Fe, Mn, Cu measured in
mg/kg)
Warman PR, Havard KA. Yield, vitamin and mineral
contents of organically and conventionally grown
potatoes and sweet corn. Agriculture, Ecosystems,
and Environment. 199868207-216.
32
Reganold et al Study2001

• 1994 to 1999 Yakima Valley, Washington
• Organic, conventional and integrated farming
  techniques on Golden Delicious apples
• Four replicated plots for each three apple
  production systems
• Soil, yield, taste, profit, energy and
  environment
• Reganold JP, Glover JD, Andrews PK, Hinman HR.
  Sustainability of three apple production systems.
  Nature. 2001410926-930.

33
Samples Collected

• Soil
• Fruit yields
• Taste test
• Total costs
• Environmental impact
• Reganold JP, Glover JD, Andrews PK, Hinman HR.
  Sustainability of three apple production systems.
  Nature. 2001410926-930.

34
Results of Soil Quality
Soil quality function rating, with a maximum
value of 0.25, Soil quality conditions optimal
for production and environment, with a maximum
value of 1.0
Reganold JP, Glover JD, Andrews PK, Hinman HR.
Sustainability of three apples production
systems. Nature. 2001410926-930.
35
Environmental Impact
Reganold JP, Glover JD, Andrews PK, Hinman HR.
Sustainability of three apples production
systems. Nature. 2001410926-930.
36
Results and Discussion

• Organic
• Higher soil quality, lower negative impact to
  environment, higher profitability, greatest
  energy efficient and comparable yields
• Sweeter and less tart taste in the apple taste
  test preference
• Reganold JP, Glover JD, Andrews PK, Hinman HR.
  Sustainability of three apple production systems.
  Nature. 2001410926-930.

37
Weibel et al Study 2002

• 4 day experiment
• Compare organic and conventional apples
• Organic apples came from Italy
• Conventional apples came from France
• Harvest date and post harvest storage conditions
  are unknown
• Apples purchased on first day of experiment
• Weibel FP, Bickel R, Leuthold S, Alfoldi T. Are
  organically grown apples tastier and healthier? A
  comparative field study using conventional and
  alternative methods to measure fruit quality.
  Acte Horticulturae. 200217417-426.

38
Samples Collected

• Second day of experiment
• Spectra and color readings
• Third day of experiment
• Volume, firmness, juiciness
• Forth day of experiment
• Acidity and sugar content
• Weibel FP, Bickel R, Leuthold S, Alfoldi T. Are
  organically grown apples tastier and healthier? A
  comparative field study using conventional and
  alternative methods to measure fruit quality.
  Acte Horticulturae. 200217417-426.

39
Results
Weibel FP, Bickel R, Leuthold S, Alfoldi T. Are
organically grown apples tastier and healthier? A
comparative field study using conventional and
alternative methods to measure fruit quality.
Acte Horticulturae. 200217417-426.
40
Results
Significant Difference

• Sugar and acid ratio
• Volume
• Color
• NOT Significant
• Dry matter
• Firmness
• Sugar
• Acid
• pH

• ANOVA, p0.04
• ANOVA, plt0.0001
• ANOVA, plt0.0001
• ANOVA, p0.74
• ANOVA, p0.41
• ANOVA, p0.51
• ANOVA, p0.18
• ANOVA, p0.29

41
Taste Test
42
Grinder-Pedersen et al 2003

• Organic vs. conventional diet
• Comparing secondary metabolite intake and
  excretion
• Double-blinded randomized, crossover design
• Two intervention periods, 22 days long
• Periods separated by washout period of 3 weeks
• 16 participants
• 6 males, 10 females (21-35 years old)
• Food portions were weighed, no food or drinks
  from outside the department
• Grinder-Pedersen L, Rasmussen SE, Bugel S,
  Jorgensen LV, Dragsted LO, Gundersen V, Sandstrom
  B. Effect of diets based on foods from
  conventional versus organic production on intake
  and excretion of flavonoids and markers of
  antioxidative defense in humans. J Agric Food
  Chem. 2003515671-5676.

43
Secondary Metabolites

• Flavonoids
• Phenols
• Produced by natural defenses
• Potent antioxidant
• Help prevent heart disease and cancer
• Organically grown foods higher in cancer fighting
  chemicals. Cancer Weekly. 20033133-134.
• Grinder-Pedersen L, Rasmussen SE, Bugel S,
  Jorgensen LV, Dragsted LO, Gundersen V, Sandstrom
  B. Effect of diets based on foods from
  conventional versus organic production on intake
  and excretion of flavonoids and markers of
  antioxidative defense in humans. J Agric Food
  Chem. 2003515671-5676.

44
Content of Flavonoids in Intervention Diet
Median SD determined in dietary samples based
on 7 days of dietary intake in each intervention
period.
Measurement in Micrograms/10 MJ

• Grinder-Pedersen L, Rasmussen SE, Bugel S,
  Jorgensen LV, Dragsted LO, Gundersen V, Sandstrom
  B. Effect of diets based on foods from
  conventional versus organic production on intake
  and excretion of flavonoids and markers of
  antioxidative defense in humans. J Agric Food
  Chem. 2003515671-5676.

45
Samples Collected

• Blood samples
• Two days before, last day, and following day in
  each intervention period
• Urine samples
• Day before and last day of intervention period
• Flavonoids tested
• Quercetin, Kaempferol, Hesperetin, Naringenin,
  Isorhamnetin
• Grinder-Pedersen L, Rasmussen SE, Bugel S,
  Jorgensen LV, Dragsted LO, Gundersen V, Sandstrom
  B. Effect of diets based on foods from
  conventional versus organic production on intake
  and excretion of flavonoids and markers of
  antioxidative defense in humans. J Agric Food
  Chem. 2003515671-5676.

46
Excretion of Flavonoids in Urine Sample
Measurement in mcirograms/24 hours
Grinder-Pedersen L, Rasmussen SE, Bugel S,
Jorgensen LV, Dragsted LO, Gundersen V, Sandstrom
B. Effect of diets based on foods from
conventional versus organic production on intake
and excretion of flavonoids and markers of
antioxidative defense in humans. J Agric Food
Chem. 2003515671-5676
47
Reviews of Literature

• Worthington 1998, 1999
• Williams 2002
• Magkos et al 2003

48
Worthington 1998 Williams 2002
No. of studies of organic crops shown to have
increased, decreased or same nutrient content
compared to conventional grown crops.
Worthington V. Effect of agricultural methods on
nutritional quality a comparison of organic with
conventional crops. Alternative Therapies in
Health and Medicine. 1998458-69. Williams CM.
Nutritional quality of organic food shades of
grey or shades of green? The Proceedings of the
Nutrition Society. 20026119-24.
49
Magkos et al 2003
Difference between micronutrient content of
organic and conventional crops
Magkos F, Arvaniti F, Zampelas A. Organic food
nutritious food or food for thought? A review of
the evidence. International J Food Sciences and
Nutrition. 200354357-371.
50
Worthington 1999
Nutritional and biodynamics evidence for the
nutritional superiority of organic crops.
Available at http//www.biodynamics.com/biodynamc
isarticles/worth.html. Accessed February 26,
2004.
51
Position of the American Dietetic Association

• Research is inconclusive on organic foods and the
  American Dietetic Association refutes any health
  claims."We have the safest food supply on the
  planet, and research so far shows that there are
  no significant health benefits to eating organic.
  You get the same nutrients both ways, and both
  are safe, " said ADA spokeswoman Nela Mercer.
• Is organic better? Maybe, or maybe not. Available
  at http//www.azcentral.com/php-bin/clicktrack/e
  mail.php/1094760. Accessed March 10, 2004.

52
Implications

• Need for more research
• More controlled studies
• Human studies
• Health benefits
• May encourage organic products for pregnant and
  cancer patients

53
Objectives

• To understand the difference in farming
  techniques.
• To understand the organic labeling standards.
• To understand what genetically modified foods
  are.
• To determine if organic foods are safer.
• To determine if organic foods contain more
  vitamins and minerals.

54
Conclusions

• No definite conclusions
• Less pesticide residues
• Better for the environment
• Some studies show higher levels of vitamins and
  minerals
• May help reduce the risk of heart disease and
  cancer

55
Questions

• ?