[SustainableTompkins] Organic Veggies & Milk Healthier

[Katie Quinn-Jacobs]

Found this on The Guardian, it'll be interesting to see the results when 
the full study is published.

-- Katie Q-J


  Organic food is healthier: study

    *
          o Ian Sample <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/iansample>,
            science correspondent
          o The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian>
          o Monday October 29 2007

Some organic foods, including fruit, vegetables and milk, may be more 
nutritious than non-organic produce, according to an investigation by 
British scientists.

Early results from a £12m study showed that organic fruit and vegetables 
contained up to 40% more antioxidants than non-organic varieties, 
according to Professor Carlo Leifert at Newcastle University, who leads 
the EU-funded Quality Low Input Food project.

Larger differences were found in milk, with organic varieties containing 
more than 60% more antioxidants and healthy fatty acids, he said.

Antioxidant-rich food is often promoted as healthier because in lab 
tests the compounds neutralise free radicals that are thought to 
contribute to ageing.

The findings contradict advice from the Food Standards Agency, which 
maintains there is no scientific evidence to suggest organic food is 
healthier.

During the four-year project, Prof Leifert's team, which is based at the 
university's Tesco centre for organic agriculture, reared cattle and 
grew fruit and vegetables on adjacent organic and non-organic sites 
across Europe, including a 725-acre farm attached to the university. The 
full results of the study will be released in full over the next 12 months.

"What we're really interested in is finding out why there is so much 
variability ... What in the agricultural system gives a higher 
nutritional content and less of the baddies in the food?" Prof Leifert said.

--