More proof – if you needed it!

Preliminary data from the 4-year Quality Low Input Food (QLIF) study led by Professor Carlo Leifert of Newcastle University, is in. And in case you required further evidence of the nutritional benefits of consuming organic fruit and vegetables, the study has found that organic produce contains 40% more antioxidants compared to non-organic produce. The study also found there to be higher levels of other beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc in organic fruit and vegetables.

So, what’s the significance of the study’s preliminary results? Well, for a start, a higher intake of antioxidants is believed to significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Prof Leifert said the health benefits were so striking that moving to organic food was the equivalent of eating an extra portion of fruit and vegetables every day. Looked at from a slightly different perspective, the study’s results may also pave the way for further research leading to the development of innovative solutions aimed at addressing the growing obesity epidemic facing much of the developed world.

As a result of the study’s key findings, the Soil Association has called for the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) to reverse its position on the health benefits of organic food. Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, the FSA still maintains that organic food is no healthier than non-organic food. Given the history that exists between The Soil Association and The Food Standards Agency and, in light of the FSA’s reluctance to review their position despite the growing body of evidence clearly at odds with its stance, one might reasonably conclude that political bias on the part of the FSA is alive and well. And that’s unfortunate – not only for the organic industry, but also for consumers who rely on the impartiality of Government Agencies such as the FSA.