Nutritional Quality of Organically Grown Food

[Guest guest]

Nutritional Quality of Organically Grown Food JoAnn Guest Feb 02, 2005 19:01

PST

by Steve Diver

http://www.thefutureisorganic.net/organicnutri.htm

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas -- ATTRA

Fayetteville, Arkansas

 

Farmers often ask ATTRA for data on the nutritional quality of organic

food (grains, fruits, vegetables) in comparison to conventionally raised

food. This publication summarizes some of the facts and viewpoints

surrounding this issue, and provides resources for further reading.

“Healthy soils equals healthy food equals healthy people” is a

fundamental tenet of many ecological farming systems. Yet, the

nutritional quality of food grown by organic and conventional methods is

the subject of much controversy.

 

Organic advocates claim organically grown foods are nutritionally

superior because such foods contain higher levels of vitamins, minerals,

and amino acids. On the other hand, the mainstream scientific community

disputes these claims, arguing instead that nutritional differences do

not exist. “Plants can’t tell the difference between organic and

chemical fertilizers” is an oft quoted statement in support of this

latter viewpoint.

 

An examination of the literature revealed that quite a few studies have

been published on this topic. A selection of references is listed in

the further reading sections below. In short, the data on nutritional

quality of organic produce in comparison to conventional produce are

inconclusive. Some research reports point to statistical differences,

while other studies do not.

 

Dr. Joan Gussow, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition and Education at

Columbia Teachers College, conducted an extensive review of this topic.

In an assessment of the varied scientific research conducted to date,

she concludes:

 

Lacking such careful studies, there is enough cumulative evidence to

indicate—to those who wish to be convinced—that organic foods have a

variety of qualities that should over the long term make them more

healthful—including lower levels of pesticide residue, lower levels of

nitrate-nitrogen, greater density, better flavor if they are properly

handled, etc. But the available studies are conflicting enough to

convince anyone who isn’t a fan of organic, that any differences that

can be demonstrated are not worth writing home about, and are certainly

not a reason to promote organic food (1).

At the end of her article “Is Organic Food More Nutritious?” she prods

the organic industry to move beyond harping on a few nutritional

differences when organic production provides so many other benefits

worth promoting: conserves natural resources, solves rather than

creates environmental problems, and reduces the pollution of air, water,

soil, and food.

A panel of food safety and nutrition experts associated with the

Institute of Food Technologists came to the following conclusion in a

study titled “Organically Grown Foods:”

 

A justification for the purchase of organically grown food cannot be

made on the basis of any superiority in nutrition, taste, or freedom

from pesticides. Advantages have been identified, however, with the

practice of organic farming. Advantages cited include agronomic and

environmental benefits. The future of the organically grown foods

market more appropriately depends on the viability of the organic

farming system as an alternative agricultural practice which offers

effective solutions to the detrimental effects on the environment and

nonsustaining aspects of conventional farming practices (2).

Greg and Pat Williams, editors of the HortIdeas newsletter, came to the

following conclusion back in 1987, when they reviewed yet another

inconclusive research study. They wrote:

Again, these results are in accord with other “organic vs. conventional”

vegetable trials that we have seen, and that have prompted us to argue

for an “organic” approach to gardening on the basis of environmental

considerations rather than some dubious “miraculous” nutritional

properties of the “organic” produce. [but we’re always open to new

information on the fertilizer/nutrition connection.] (3).

Ten years later, in 1997, they reviewed 12 more research papers on this

topic in an article titled “Organic vs. Conventional Growing Methods,

Revisited” (4). Most of the studies were “about the same” with respect

to nutritional factors and yield.

In Components, the technical newsletter from UC Sustainable Agriculture

Research and Education Program (UC-SAREP) at the University of

California, Gail Feenstra reviewed a European study on vitamin and

mineral content of carrot and celeriac grown under mineral or organic

fertilization. Though the researchers reported significant nutritional

differences between organic and commercial fertilizer treatments,

Feenstra raised a number of questions regarding experimental protocol.

One of her questions deals with the concept of early-stage organic

transition versus long-term organic conversion, “This time factor could

affect the soil quality and potentially, the nutritional quality of the

vegetables.” Further, she concludes:

 

Finally, despite the interest this type of study attracts, it is

important to bear in mind that the differences between organic and

conventional produce must be considered within a broad context.

Although consistent differences in specific nutrients may eventually be

found, their contribution to overall health is questionable, given North

Americans’ and Europeans’ access to food. Choosing organically grown

produce for its contribution to the long-term health of the soil and our

capacity to produce food sustainably may ultimately be more important

than its contribution to individual nutritional health (5).

David Leonard, an agro-nutritionist from Arizona, says that eating

habits play a larger role in health than the organic vs. conventional

food production paradigm. His views—excerpts from a post on the

Sustainable Agriculture Network’s Internet discussion group— are

summarized below (6):

I think that organic agriculture may miss an ideal opportunity to

maximize its potential impact on American’s health and sustainable

wellness unless it broadens its mission beyond environmental

friendliness and the production of nutritious food (whether or not that

food is actually nutritionally superior). The

agriculture-nutrition-wellness connection involves more than farming,

especially these days when nutritious food leaving the farm gate is less

likely than ever to translate into healthy eating. Some reasons:

1. Modern food processing adds fat (usually unhealthy hydrogenated

oils), sugar, and salt to many products and often markedly reduces the

fiber content and vitamin/mineral content of cereal grains.

2. It’s harder than ever to know how to select healthy foods, given the

mind-boggling array of supermarket food choices and the proliferation of

low-fat, fake-fat, artificially sweetened, or vitamin-fortified

“techno-foods.”

 

3. The public is understandably confused about nutrition. Just look at

any bookstore’s collection of diet books to get a consensus opinion on

how to eat well.

 

4. We’ve become a food-obsessed society and now eat over 200 calories a

day more than in 1978. About 45% of the typical U.S. family’s food

budget is now spent at restaurants (usually fast food) vs. 25% in 1950.

 

5. America’s major nutritional legacy (and, indeed our federal dietary

guidelines until the 1992 introduction of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid)

stems from traditional Anglo-Germanic eating patterns favoring a

high-fat, low-fiber diet where meat and dairy products play a central

role. Numerous diet/disease studies worldwide have correlated this

eating style with a much higher rate of chronic degenerative diseases

(heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc.) than in the case

of plant-centered diets.

 

One study that’s often mentioned in the organic vs. conventional debate

is the Firman E. Bear report. This report DID NOT look at the

nutritional differences between organic and conventionally raised

produce, though the popular press has incorrectly portrayed it in this

manner for many years. The study, published in a 1948 edition of

Proceedings of the Soil Science Society of America (7), examined the

mineral composition of vegetables grown in different regions and on

different soil types. Part of the more recent confusion may stem from

the way the results were presented; i.e., organic and inorganic soil

types rather than organic and conventional production methods.

Dr. Bear and his colleagues found that vegetables grown on heavy soils

in the Ohio Valley had a greater mineral content than produce grown on

sandy Coastal Plain soils near the East Coast. Interestingly,

fertilizer rates on farms in the coastal-plain states were much higher

in contrast to fertilizer rates used on farms in east north-central

states. Clover sods and manures were more prevalent in the east

north-central region. These results are important in themselves because

they show that soil type (and quite likely differences in clay

mineralogy, soil organic matter, and biological soil activity) affect

the mineral composition of foods grown on them. In general, they found

that trace element and mineral content increases from south to north,

and from east to west. Overall, mineral composition is affected by

geography, climate, and fertilizing practices.

 

A full-text version of the infamous " Firman Bear Report " can be found

online at the Rutgers University website:

 

Variation in Mineral Composition of Vegetables

Firman E. Bear, Stephen J. Toth, and Arthur L. Prince

http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/bearreport/index.html

Reprinted from Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 1948,

Volume 13. pp. 380-4, The Soil Science Society of America,

Madison, Wisconsin, 1949.

 

There are many environmental and cultural factors that influence the

nutritional composition of produce, and these may ultimately play a

greater role in food quality than simple organic versus conventional

logic.

Environmental conditions likely to affect food quality include

geographical area, soil type, soil moisture, soil health (humus content,

fertility, microbial activity, etc.), weather and climatic conditions

(temperature, rainfall, flooding, drought), and pollution.

 

Cultural practices likely to affect food quality include humus

management techniques such as green manuring and composting, variety,

seed source, length of growing season, irrigation, fertilization,

cultivation, and postharvest handling (especially temperature and

relative humidity).

 

For a comprehensive review of the topic, see Sharon Hornick’s article

" Factors Affecting the Nutritional Quality of Crops. " Her paper was

published in a special issue of The American Journal of Alternative

Agriculture containing the Proceedings of a Conference on the Assessment

and Monitoring of Soil Quality (8).

 

Having summarized some of the viewpoints underlying the debate as well

as identifying the many factors affecting food quality, let us now turn

our attention to some of the noteworthy ideas, practices, and

publications from the sustainable farming and holistic health movements

that address the link between farming method, soil quality, and food

quality in general.

 

A common thread in alternative agriculture and health literature is

declining food quality in the industrialized food production system. As

early as the 1930s, writers saw a link between nutrient-depleted soils

and increased health problems (9-10).

 

The alarming fact is that foods -- fruits and vegetables and grains --

now being raised on million acres of land that no longer contains enough

of certain needed minerals, are starving us, no matter how much of them

we eat.

-- U.S. Senate Document 264, 1936

The Acres,U.S.A articles “Exhausted Soil Produces Exhausted People,” by

Sam Hood (June 1993, p. 30 & 39) and “The Argument for 'Expensive

Urine'“ by Joel Wallach (November 1993, p. 24) provide examples from the

alternative press that depleted soils result in increased health

problems (11). In addition, Hood suggests that soil fungi play a vital

role in plant nutrition, that the fungi actively stimulate synthesis of

amino acids, proteins, and other plant nutritive factors in addition to

their well-known symbiotic benefits such as assimilation of water and

nutrients, especially phosphorus.

While it is common knowledge that soil microorganisms influence plant

nutrition by virtue of their role in decomposition and mineralization of

organic matter, the view that microorganisms stimulate plant metabolism

and enhance plant nutrition is certainly more holistic in nature than

the quantitative-mechanical view that soil microbes merely breakdown

organic matter and release mineral ions into the soil solution. In

this, there is an interesting correlation to research associated with

bioponics.

 

Bioponics is a new kind of hydroponic plant production system. The term

bioponics means " life working, " which differs from hydroponics which

means " water working. " Dr. Luther Thomas has published a series of

articles on the emerging technology of bioponics in The Growing Edge

magazine.

Thomas is a marine biologist who discovered bioponics while working with

sea plants. He found that a number of sea plants would not grow in

artificial sea water. They only grew when he inoculated the solution

with a few drops of sea water. Thomas figured out that the missing

ingredient was not a nutrient or trace element; it was the living

element, or the microorganisms present in the ocean, that enabled the

plants to grow normally.

 

In bioponics, marine algae adapted to fresh water conditions are

introduced into a hydroponic medium. The microbes help stabilize pH and

fix nitrogen. These microbes also produce enzymes which stimulate plant

biochemical processes. Plant traits subsequently affected include such

things as flavor and appearance of vegetables. Metabolites produced by

the microbes -- such as gibberellins, auxins, and vitamins -- enhance

plant growth.

 

Hydroponic Vegetable Production

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, 1995

A few of the alternative health books that address demineralization of

soils and declining health include Rare Earths: Forbidden Cures (17) by

Dr. Joel Wallach and Empty Harvest (18) by Dr. Bernard Jensen. An audio

tape by Wallach, Dead Doctors Don’t Lie, discusses the importance of

minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients in reversing disease and

ensuring good health and longevity, accompanied with the promotion of

“colloidal minerals” as dietary supplements (19).

…all animals get their food directly or indirectly from plants, and all

plants get their food from the soil. Therefore, mineral-deficient soil

may be one of the greatest original sources of disease in the world

today. According to D. W. Cavanaugh, M.D., of Cornell University, " There

is only one major disease and that is malnutrition. All ailments and

afflictions to which we may fall heir are directly traceable to this

major disease. " Simply stated, food crops grown on depleted soil produce

malnourished bodies, and disease preys on malnourished bodies.

– Empty Harvest, 1990.

The Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients and Trace Elements (20)

by Paul Bergner includes USDA figures that show a decline in mineral and

vitamin content of several fruits and vegetables between 1914, 1963, and

1992. Table 1 is a summary of mineral decreases in fruits and

vegetables over a 30-year period, adapted from Bergner’s book.

Table 1. Average changes in the mineral content of some fruits and

vegetables†, 1963-1992

 

Mineral Average % Change

 

Calcium -29.82

Iron -32.00

Magnesium -21.08

Phosphorus -11.09

Potassium -6.48

 

† Fruits and vegetables measured: oranges, apples, bananas, carrots,

potatoes, corn, tomatoes, celery, romaine lettuce, broccoli, iceberg

lettuce, collard greens, and chard

 

Paul Bergner's The Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients and

Trace Elements from Prima Publishing is one of the better popular press

health books on the importance and function of minerals in food.

Bergner is the clinic director of the Rocky Mountain Center for

Botanical Studies, and editor of Clinical Nutrition Update and Medical

Herbalism newsletters. The list price is $15 through:

Prima Publishing

P.O. Box 1260BK

Rocklin, CA 95677

916-632-4400

http://www.primapublishing.com

 

 

In England, Anne Marie-Mayer compared food composition over a 50-year

period using data from the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and

Food (MAFF). Her study (21), “Historical Changes in the Mineral

Content of Fruits and Vegetables” was presented at the Agricultural

Production and Nutrition conference held at Tufts University School of

Nutrition Science and Policy on March 19-21, 1997. Table 2, adapted

from Marie-Mayer’s paper, summarizes the average ratio of nutrient

content and dry matter of 20 vegetables and 20 fruits. A ratio of 0.81

for Ca, for example, means that over an approximately 50-year period the

average content of calcium in vegetables has declined to 81% of the

original level.

 

Table 2. Average ratio of mineral content and dry matter (new/old) for

vegetables and 20 fruits†

 

Ca Mg Fe Cu

Na K P D.M.

Vegetable ratio 0.81† 0.65† 0.78 0.19† 0.57†

0.86 0.94

 

Fruit ratio 1.00 0.89† 0.68† 0.64† 0.90

0.80† 0.99

 

† The symbol † indicates a statistical difference

 

Two agriculture books that provide an introduction to the concept of

nutrient-depleted foods, as well as fertility programs to remineralize

soils, are reviewed below.

 

Nourishment Home Grown (22) by Dr. A.F. Beddoe follows the notion that a

decline in American health is due to demineralized soil conditions.

Beddoe promotes fertilizer practices based on the theories of the late

Dr. Carey Reams to raise foods with a higher nutrient density. One of

Carey Reams contributions to alternative agriculture was the Biological

Theory of Ionization, which says that “All disease is the result of a

mineral deficiency or loss of mineral energy, whether plant, animal, or

human.” Beddoe's book is available through Pike Lab Supplies in Strong,

Maine for about $20.00. Contact:

 

Pike Lab Supplies

RR 2, Box 710

Strong, ME 04983

207-684-5131

207-684-5133 Fax

Contact: Bob Pike

in-

http://www.pikeagri.com

Super Nutrition Gardening (23) by Dr. William S. Peavy and Warren Peary

lists numerous references to scientific and USDA literature that support

the relation of food nutrition to the condition of soils. Following

sections on food nutrition, the remainder of the book focuses on organic

gardening techniques. In particular, the authors outline of a

seven-step program for restoring soil fertility. Peavy and Peary's book

is available for about $14.95 through:

Avery Publishing Group

120 Old Broadway

Garden City Park, NY 11040

Remineralize the Earth—RE, Inc.— is a non-profit organization that

promotes the regeneration of soils and forests with finely ground gravel

dust as an economically and ecologically sustainable alternative to

chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In the 1980s and 90s, RE, Inc.

published a quarterly journal, Remineralize the Earth. Back issues are

an excellent way to learn about farming practices associated with rock

dusts, scientific research, and resource listings of supplies and

publications. Though it discontinued its print journal, RE, Inc

maintains a website with articles from past journal issues, research

reports, and an electronic forum on soil remineralization. RE, Inc.

plans to develop an online magazine, a monthly digital newsletter, and a

research database.

Joanne Campe, the editor, has compiled extensive resource packets

containing research and practitioner-based information on the use of

rock dusts in agriculture and forestry. Packets include:

 

Soil Remineralization: Agriculture, 146 pages. $17.00

Soil Remineralization: Forestry and Sewage Treatment, 82 pages.

$12.00

Complete Set for both Agriculture & Forestry/Sewage Sludge. $25.00

For further information, contact:

Remineralize the Earth

152 South Street

Northampton, MA 01060-4021

413-586-4429

Contact: Joanne Campe

Email: Remin-

http://www.Remineralize-the-Earth.org

In addition to standard methods of analysis—such as comparative taste

tests or quantitative analysis of mineral content—some researchers have

examined food quality by observing the effects of feeding biologically-

versus conventionally-grown feeds on animals (24-26).

The refractometer, a precision optical instrument commonly used in the

produce industry, is gaining wider usage among organic farmers and crop

advisors. It measures soluble solids and sugars in sap squeezed from

fruits or vegetables, and reports the results on a scale known as Brix°.

A higher Brix reading usually correlates to better taste, and in some

instances, higher mineral content. Alternative farmers and crop

advisors are monitoring crops with refractometers to understand how soil

amendments and practices such as humates, rock dusts, and foliar feeding

affect Brix readings.

 

Darkfield microscopy, a specialized illumination technique used in light

microscopy, is gaining increased usage by holistic health practitioners

in the study of nutritional supplements and dietary changes and how they

affect live blood samples from patients. By studying changes in

cellular structure and blood flora, technicians can discern patterns

which are associated with healthy blood and those recognized as

indicators of disease or poor nutrition.

 

When asked if darkfield microscopy can be used to detect links between

soil health and food quality, one laboratory worker (26) said, “For a

clear division between organic and commercially grown fruits and

vegetable this technique [darkfield microscopy] is very, very

revealing.” Further information— articles, photos, training materials—

on the darkfield technqiue can be found at the Nu-Life Sciences (see Dr.

Michael Coyle) web site in California (27) and at the Center for

Somatidian Orthobiogy (see Dr. Gaston Naessens) web site in Quebec,

Canada (28).

 

An alternative approach to measuring food quality is the use of novel

methods of qualitative analysis. These methods are reviewed by Lampkin

in Organic Farming (29). These include (a) image-forming techniques

such as certain types of copper-chloride crystallization and

chromatography, (b) physical-chemical techniques such as counting photon

emissions from samples of food and measuring electrical conductivity and

other electro-chemical properties of food, and © microbiological and

biochemical techniques.

 

Regarding the photon emission method, Lampkin writes:

 

Of particular interest is the technique of counting photon emissions.

Every living organism emits biophotons or low-level luminescence (light

with a wavelength between 200 and 800 nanometers). This light energy is

thought to be stored in the DNA during photosynthesis and is transmitted

continuously by the cell. It is thought that the higher the level of

light energy a cell emits, the greater its vitality and the potential

for the transfer of that energy to the individual which consumes it.

Significant differences have been found in favour of organically

produced food (Figures 15.6 and 15.7), but differences also occur with

respect to location, freshness and stage of maturity (ripeness) (p.

571-572).

Of these methods, the copper crystallization and paper chromatography

techniques seem to be gaining wider recognition. For example, see Knorr

and Vogtmann’s article titled “Quality and Quality Determination of

Ecologically Grown Foods” in Sustainable Food Systems (30), or consult

Dietrich Knorr’s paper on chromatography in Biological Agriculture and

Horticulture (31).

According to literature from the Elm Farm Research Centre in England

(32), " the employment of these novel methods is an attempt to identify a

characteristic of food other than the currently measurable components

such as nutrients, vitamins, and residues. This characteristic, which

could be called ‘vitality’, is thought by some to be important to the

health of all living organisms and can be passed on through the food

chain. "

 

The concept of “vital energy” doesn’t have much history in Western

science. In the Orient, however, where it is known variously as “prana”

or “chi”, bioenergetic healing systems are centuries old. The concept

is integral to naturopathic health traditions such as ayurveda, yoga,

tantra, acupuncture, QiGong, and tai chi.

 

Likewise, bioenergy is an important feature of several alternative

farming systems. Three examples follow:

 

Farmers and crop advisors who follow the fertility management guidelines

established by Dr. Carey Reams use electronic scanners, or radionic

instruments, to measure the " general vitality " of soil, plant, and

animal samples. In turn, radionic instruments are used to formulate

feed and fertilizer programs with the intention of enhancing the

vitality readings and health of farm animals or crops. For more

information on Reams or radionics, request the ATTRA publications titled

Albrecht/Reams Biological Fertility Systems and Radionics in

Agriculture.

 

The second alternative farming system, biodynamic agriculture, is unique

in that it purports to increase cosmic and terrestrial forces in nature

through the use of biodynamic preparations and herbal sprays which, in

turn, enrich the farm, its products, and its inhabitants with life

energy. Products marketed under Demeter® label — the certified

biodynamic label first used in 1928 — are promoted as an enlivened, high

quality food source within this context.

 

Founded by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s,

biodynamic farming was formed under the premise that a decline in feed

and food quality on German farms paralleled the introduction of

commercial fertilizers. Humus management practices such as forage-based

crop rotations, integration of crops and livestock, green manuring,

composting, cover cropping, and microbial inoculation play an especially

important role on biodynamic farms.

 

For an overview on this topic, see ATTRA's:

 

Biodynamic Farming & Compost Preparation

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/biodynamic.html

 

A unique contribution of the biodynamic movement has been the

development and popularization of two qualitative tests: paper

chromatography and sensitive crystallization.

 

Chromatography Applied to Quality Testing is 44-page booklet by Dr.

Ehrenfried Pfeiffer on the paper chromatography method. Pfeiffer made

extensive use of the chroma test in his research at the Pfeiffer

Foundation in Spring Valley, New York. Included are laboratory standards

for preparation and extractions of samples. The book contains color

plates and descriptive entries for chroma tests performed on different

samples of soil, compost, and grain. It lists for $8 through Biodynamic

Farming & Gardening Association (BDFGA) in San Francisco, California .

 

Sensitive Crystallization: A Demonstration of Formative Forces in the

Blood is a 59-page booklet by Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer

developed the sensitive crystallization technique in the early 1930s.

In 1939 he was awarded an honorary M.D. from Hahnemann Medical College

in Philadelphia in recognition of his research on the early diagnosis of

cancer using this method. The sensitive crystallization technique can

also be used in the analysis of plants, produce, grain, and fodder. It

lists for $16 through BFDGA. Contact:

 

Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, Inc

Building 1002B, Thoreau Center, The Presidio

P.O. Box 29135

San Francisco, CA 94129-0135

415-561-7797

415-561-7796 Fax

biody-

http://www.biodynamics.com

The third alternative farming system with a special focus on food

quality is Nature Farming. In both organizations that promote Nature

Farming — Kyusei Nature Farming and MOA Nature Farming — the production

of healthy nutritious foods is a central goal. Healthy foods grown on

healthy soils are understood to play an underlying role in human health;

and further, such foods contain an important life force separate from

its mineral or chemical constituents. In the Kyusei Nature Farming

branch, Effective Microorganisms® are used to inoculate composts, green

manures, irrigation water, and other organic soil amendments to

manipulate the microbial soil environment and enhance soil health and

food quality.

For an overview on this topic, see:

 

Nature Farming and Effective Microorganisms

http://ncatark.uark.edu/~steved/Nature-Farm-EM.html

 

Food quality is defined more broadly by the Soil Association in England.

It adopted standards developed at the University of Kassel and the Elm

Farm Research Centre, two European research institutes actively

conducting organic farming systems research. Six criteria — Sensual,

Authenticity, Functional, Nutritional, Biological, and Ethical — make up

this new holistic approach.

 

Six Aspects of Food Quality:

 

Sensual: how good it feels to eat. Taste, smell, texture, look, feel;

that wonderful blend of sensations when you bite into a freshly picked

apple.

 

Authenticity: the food which consumers expect. Food which has not been

synthesized or adulterated in production, processing or storage. Bread

where the browness is real, not an added ingredient to white bread.

 

Functional: how appropriate food is to its specific purpose. For

example, the way different varieties of potatoes are more or less

suitable for boiling, baking, roasting or frying.

 

Nutritional: how it contributes to a balanced diet. Recognizing

individual food’s value by the vitamins, protein or trace elements

present.

 

Biological: how it interacts with the body’s functioning. Allergic

reactions to additives, the effects of agri-chemical residues;

beneficial role of live yoghurt on the gut flora, etc.

 

Ethical: environmental, social and political values. How food

production treats animals, the environment, and the people producing the

food.

 

Resources:

 

Agricultural Production and Nutrition is the proceedings of an

international conference organized by the Tufts University School of

Nutrition Science and Policy, held March 1997. The 214-page book

contains twenty-one papers. Enclosed for your information is an

announcement regarding the proceedings, which contains a list of paper

titles. It is available for $18 with pre-payment or $21 if billed

(checks payable to “Trustees of Tufts College”) from:

 

Agriculture and Nutrition Conference

School of Nutrition Science and Policy

Tufts University

Medford, MA 02155

Food Quality: Concepts & Methodology is the proceedings of an

international colloquium organized by the Elm Farm Research Centre and

the University of Kassel. It is a 64-page book published in 1992. It

is available for 10 pounds in English currency (about $20.00). Contact:

 

Elm Farm Research Centre

Hamstead Marshall

Near Newbury

Berkshire RG20 OHR, Great Britain

Tel: 01488 658298

Fax: 01488 658503

educa-

http://www.efrc.com

Especially See:

 

EFRC Education Pack: Food Quality

http://www.efrc.com/education/student2.htm

 

Resource packet with printed material containing EFRC information sheets

and briefing notes.

" Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens " -- Consumer's Perceptions

on Organic Food Quality?

By Lawrence Woodward and Angelika Meier-Ploeger

Presented at the IFOAM Conference, Mar Del Plata, Argentina, November

1998

http://www.efrc.com/research/rorawok.doc

8-page article available as document download

The Ecological Agriculture Project at MacDonald College of McGill

University in Canada has published several informative reports and

bibliographies on this topic. Titles include:

Soil Conditions and Food Quality

Soil Fertility and the Nutritional Quality of Food

Comparison of Food Quality of Organically Versus Conventionally

Grown Plant Foods

Agriculture, Ecology, and Overconsumption

Soil, Food, Health and Values

Nutritional Characteristics of Organic,Freshly Stone-Ground Sourdough

& Conventional Breads

To order these reports, or to view them online, contact:

Ecological Agriculture Project

Box 191, MacDonald College

21,111 Lakeshore

Ste-Anne De Bellevue, Quebec

Canada H9X 1CO

http://www.eap.mcgill.ca

Organically Produced Foods: Nutritive Content is a 21-page bibliography

compiled by Mary Gold at the Alternative Farming Systems Information

Center, National Agricultural Library. It consists of about 216

literature citations that specifically focus on the nutritive value of

organically produced foods, including vitamin and mineral content, as

well as related chemical constituents. It is located on the web at:

Organically Produced Foods: Nutritive Content

Special Reference Briefs Series no. SRB 2000-03

Compiled by: Mary V. Gold

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural

Library

http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb0003.htm

Brix- is an electronic forum that focuses on food

quality, using refractometers to ascertain Brix as an indicator of

taste. Here it may be useful to restate that Brix is the scale that

measures soluble solids and sugars in sap squeezed from fruits and

vegetables. BrixTalk promotes the use of hand held refractometers by

farmers and gardeners and consumers to ascertain on-the-spot Brix

readings as an indicator of good tasting fruits and vegetables. An

underlying assumption is that produce measuring high Brix will also have

higher levels of minerals and amino acids. BrixTalk draws heavily on

the fertility management philosophy of Dr. Carey Reams and modern day

crop advisors like Dr. Dan Skow and Dr. Arden Anderson. Carey Reams

advocated soil- and foliar-applied fertilization schemes to increase the

energy in the soil, to increase pest resistance, and to increase soluble

solids in foods that result in a high Brix reading. To , go

to: </invite/BrixTalk>

Web Links at Worldsite Crossroads, Home of BrixTalk

http://www.crossroads.ws/

Using a Refractometer to Test the Quality of Fruits & Vegetables

By Rex Harrill

http://www.crossroads.ws/brixbook/BBook.htm

 

Using a Refractometer to Test the Quality of Fruits & Vegetables is a

42-page online booklet by Rex Harrill that provides a historical glimpse

into Dr. Carey Reams research on Brix=Quality, charts that are used as

indicators of Poor, Average, Good, and Excellent quality,

instrumentation, etc.

Brix=Quality: Don't Believe What You've Been Told About Food!

http://www.crossroads.ws/brix/index.htm

Senate Document 264

Text of Dr. Charles Northern's testimony on mineral depletion of foods

http://www.crossroads.ws/brix/index-page5.html

 

How to Grow Superb Biological Produce Above & Beyond Ordinary Chemical

OR Organic Agriculture

http://www.crossroads.ws/CRActive/PikeAg.htm

 

 

Organic Produce in the Broader Context of Ecological Farming:

 

Here, it may be helpful to make a rather important distinction between

ecological farming systems and organic agriculture in general, and

certified organic production in particular.

 

Organic agriculture may be viewed in much the same way as sustainable

agriculture; i.e., a large umbrella under which many different methods

of production, products, and philosophies exist. The goal — permanent

culture, deep organics, farming systems designed to take advantage of

inherent ecosystem integrity, farms which exist on current and

non-polluting resources, etc. — may be viewed as a continuum that

encompasses a broad spectrum of agricultural concepts and practices that

strive towards ecological health rather than one pre-determined

production system set in stone for all time.

 

On the other hand, certified organic production is somewhat arbitrary.

It is a market-based arrangement in which farmers certify to consumers

that their farm products have followed an approved set of guidelines set

forth by an organic certification agency. Such guidelines assume the

production of pesticide-free or otherwise healthy products because they

are based on a list of approved versus restricted fertilizers and pest

control products.

 

However, the classification of these products — whether they are of

“natural” or “synthetic” origin — is arbitrary. That is, a farmer may

be certified if he or she meets the specified guidelines. The

assumption is that an organic farm will by necessity follow good

husbandry practices such as humus management and mineral supplementation

that result in good quality foods, but that is not always or necessarily

the situation, especially on early-transition organic farms.

 

In summary, it should be clear that certification of an organic farm

alone will not result in an automatic difference in nutritional

composition of foods. Rather, as Sharon Hornick’s article pointed out,

there are many factors that influence food quality.

 

Secondly, in a discussion of “organic versus conventional” production

as it relates to food nutrition, one should not lose sight of the many

farms and alternative farming systems that follow the principles of

organic agriculture, but do not follow certified organic production

practices per se. Some of these farms — for example those following the

Reams fertility management system — make selective use of commercial

fertilizers with a goal of mineral-dense nutritious foods. There are

many instances where these ecologically-oriented farms produce foods of

superior nutritional quality than their certified organic counterparts.

 

Finally, there is good reason to understand how organic agricultural

practices in general are right on track towards providing the necessary

soil conditions that promote foods with good, and sometimes even

superior, nutritional qualities. It should be clear from the novel

qualitative tests and concepts outlined herein, that alternative

agriculture has made significant contributions to non-traditional

concepts and practices relating to soil health and food quality

 

 

References:

 

1) Gussow, Joan Dye. 1996. Is organic food more nutritious? OFRF

Information Bulletin. Fall, Number 3. p. 1 and 10.

 

2) Newesome, Rosetta. 1990. Organically grown foods. Food Technology.

December. p. 123-130.

 

3) Williams, Greg and Pat (ed.) 1987. “Organic” vs conventionally

fertilized tomatoes. HortIdeas. April. p. 40-41.

 

4) Williams, Greg and Pat (ed.) 1997. Organic vs. conventional growing

methods, revisited. HortIdeas. May. p. 49-50.

 

5) Feenstra, Gail. 1992. Vitamin and mineral contents of carrot and

celeriac grown under mineral or organic fertilization. Components.

Vol. 3, No. 1. p. 9-10. [Review of Leclerc, J., et al. 1991.

Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 7. p. 339-348.]

 

6) David Leonard. December 11, 1996. “Re: Quality of Organic Foods”

on the sane- listserv

 

7) Bear, Firman E. 1948. Variations in mineral composition of

vegetables. Soil Sci. Soc. Proc. Vol. 13. p. 380-384.

 

8) Hornick, Sharon B. 1992. Factors affecting the nutritional quality

of crops. Am. J. Alt. Agric. Vol. 7, No. 1-2. p. 63-68.

 

9) U.S. Senate. 1936. Modern Miracle Men, Article by Rex Beach

Relating to Proper Food Mineral Balances by Charles Northen. 74th

Congress, 2nd Session, Serial Set 10016. U.S. Gov’t Printing Office,

Washington, D.C.

 

10) Price, Weston A. 1938. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Keats

Publishing, New Canaan, CT.

 

11) Acres USA

P.O. Box 91299

Austin, Texas 78709-1299

512-892-4400

512-892-4448 Fax

in-

http://www.acresusa.com

 

12) Thomas, Luther. 1990. Bioponics: the application of organic

gardening to hydroponics. The Growing Edge Spring. p. 40-43.

 

13) Thomas, Luther. 1991. Bioponics, part two. The Growing Edge.

Winter. p. 37-40, 42-43, 65.

 

14) Thomas, Luther. 1991. Bioponics, part three. The Growing Edge.

Spring. p. 40-43, 61.

 

15) Thomas, Luther. 1991. Bioponics, part four. The Growing Edge.

Summer. p. 35-40, 59.

 

16) Thomas, Luther. 1993. Bioponics, part five: Enzymes for

hereditary potential. The Growing Edge. Winter. p. 36-38, 41.

 

17) Wallach, Joel D. 1986. Rare Earths: Forbidden Cures. Double

Happiness Publishing, Bonita, CA. 496.

 

18) Jensen, Bernard, and Mark Anderson. 1990. Empty Harvest:

Understanding the Link Between Our Food, Our Immunity, and Our Planet.

Avery Pub. Group, Garden City Park, N.Y. 188 p.

 

19) Wallach, Joel D. 1996. Dead Doctors Don't Lie. Direct Marketing

Service, New York. 60 minute cassette.

 

20) Bergner, Paul. 1997. The Healing Power of Minerals, Special

Nutrients, and Trace Elements. Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA. 312 p.

 

21) Mayer, Anne-Marie. 1997. Historical changes in the mineral content

of fruits and vegetables. p. 69-77. In: William Lockeretz (ed.)

Agricultural Production and Nutrition. Tufts University School of

Nutrition Science and Policy, Held March 19-21, Boston, MA.

 

22) Beddoe, A.F. 1992. Nourishment Home Grown. Agro-Bio Systems,

Grass Valley, CA. 299 p.

 

23) Peavy, William S., and Warren Peary. 1993. Super Nutrition

Gardening. Avery Publishing Co., Garden City, NY. 236 p.

 

24) Velimirov, A. et al. 1992. The influence of biologically and

conventionally cultivated food on the fertility of rats. Biological

Agriculture and Horticulture.

Vol. 8. p. 325-337.

 

25) Plochberger, K. 1989. Feeding experiments. A criterion for

quality estimation of biologically and conventionally produced foods.

Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. Vol. 27. p. 419-428.

 

26) Acharya Viijaksarananda, Microvita Research Laboratory, Washington,

D.C. 1997. Personal communication

 

27) Nu-Life Sciences (Dr. Michael Coyle) web site:

http://www.nulifesciences.com

 

28) Center for Somatidian Orthobiology (Dr. Gaston Naessens) web site

http://www.cose.com/hp01imga.htm

 

29) Lampkin, Nicolas. 1990. Organic Farming. Farming Press, Ipswich,

United Kingdom. p. 557-573, and 608-610.

 

30) Knorr, Dietrich, and Hartmut Vogtmann. 1983. Quality and quality

determination of ecologically grown foods. p. 352-381. In: Knorr,

Dietrich (ed.) Sustainable Food Systems. The AVI Publishing Co.,

Westport, CT.

 

31) Knorr, Dietrich. 1982. Use of a circular chromatographic method

for the distinction of collard plants grown under different fertilizing

conditions. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 1. p.

29-38.

 

32) Woodward, Lawrence. 1993. The nutritional quality of organic food.

Elm Farm Research Bulletin. Number 5, January. p. 5-6.

 

 

Further Reading:

 

Ausebel, Kenny. 1994. Seeds of Change: The Living Treasure.

HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco, CA. 232 p.

 

Balfour, Lady Eve. 1975. The Living Soil and the Haughley Experiment,

2nd Edition. Faber and Faber, London. 383 p.

 

Basker, D. 1992. Comparison of taste quality between organically and

conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. Am. J. Alt. Agric. Vol. 7,

No. 3. p. 129-136.

 

Brandt, C.S. and K.C. Beeson. 1951. Influence of organic fertilization

on certain nutritive constituents of crops. Soil Science. Vol. 71. p.

449-454.

 

Clancy, Katherine L. 1986. The role of sustainable agriculture in

improving the safety and quality of the food supply. American Journal

of Alternative Agriculture. Winter. p. 11-18.

 

Comis, Don. 1989. Nitrogen overload may shrivel vitamin content.

Agricultural Research. July. p. 10-11.

 

DeEll, J.R. and R.K. Prange. 1992. Postharvest quality and sensory

attributes of organically and conventionally grown apples. HortScience.

Vol. 27, No. 10. p. 1096-1099.

 

DeEll, J.R. and R.K. Prange. 1993. Postharvest physiological

disorders, diseases and mineral concentrations of organically and

conventionally grown McIntosh and Cortland apples. Can. J. Plant Sci.

Rev. Can. Phtytotech. Vol. 73, No. 1. p. 223-230.

 

Dloughy, J. 1977. The quality of plant products under conventional and

bio-dynamic management. Bio-Dynamics. No. 124. p. 28-32.

 

Eggert, F. P. 1983. Effect of soil management practices on yield and

foliar nutrient concentration of dry beans, carrots, and tomatoes. p.

247-259. In: Lockeretz, W. (ed.) Environmentally Sound Agriculture.

Praeger Scientific, NY.

 

Feenstra, Gail. 1992. Vitamin and mineral contents of carrot and

celeriac grown under mineral or organic fertilization. Components.

Vol. 3, No. 1. p. 9-10. [Review of Leclerc, J., et al. 1991.

Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. Vol. 7. p. 339-348.]

 

Fischer, Ada, and C.H. Richter. 1986. Influence of organic and mineral

fertilizers on yield and quality of potatoes. p. 236-248. In: The

Importance of Biological Agriculture in a World of Diminishing

Resources. Proceedings of the 5th IFOAM Conference at the University of

Kassel (Germany).

 

Granstedt, Artur, and Lars Kjellenberg. 1997. Long-term field

experiment in Sweden: Effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on

soil fertility and crop quality. p. 79-90. In: William Lockeretz

(ed.) Agricultural Production and Nutrition. Tufts University School

of Nutrition Science and Policy, Held March 19-21, Boston, MA.

 

Gussow, Joan Dye. 1996. Is organic food more nutritious? And is that

the right question? NOFA-NJ Organic News. Summer. p. 1, 5.

 

Hanson, H. 1981. Comparison of chemical composition and taste of

biodynamically and conventionally grown vegetables. Qualitas Planatarum

- Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 30. p. 203-211.

 

Hornick, Sharon B. 1992. Factors affecting the nutritional quality of

crops. Am. J. Alt. Agric. Vol. 7, No. 1-2. p. 63-68.

 

Howard, Sir Albert. 1947. The Soil and Health. The Devin-Adair Co.,

New York. 307 p.

 

Kenton, Leslie. 1988. Eat organic, and live well. The Secrets of

Ecological Agriculture. The Living Earth. July-September. p. 17-18.

 

Knorr, D. 1981. Feasability of a circular paper chromatography method

for protein determination. Nutrition and Health. Vol. 1. p. 14-19.

 

Knorr, Dietrich. 1982. Natural and organic foods: definitions,

quality, and problems. Cereal Foods World. Vol. 27, No. 4. p.

163-168.

 

Knorr, Dietrich, and Hartmut Vogtmann. 1983. Quality of and quality

determination of ecologically grown foods. p. 352-381. In: Knorr,

Dietrich (ed.) Sustainable Food Systems. The AVI Publishing Co.,

Westport, CT.

 

Koepf, H. and Selawry. 1963a. Application of the diagnostic

crystallization method for the investigation of quality of food and

fodder. II. Bio-Dynamics. No. 65. p. 1-12.

 

Koepf, H. and Selawry. 1963b. Application of the diagnostic

crystallization method for the investigation of quality of food and

fodder. III. Bio-Dynamics. No. 67. p. 1-12.

 

Lairon, D., et al. 1984. Effect of organic and mineral nitrogen

fertilization on yield and nutritive value of butterhead lettuce.

Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 34. p.

97-108.

 

Lairon, D., et al. 1986. Effects of organic and mineral fertilizations

on the contents of vegetables in minerals, vitamin C, and nitrates. p.

249-260. In: The Importance of Biological Agriculture in a World of

Diminishing Resources. Proceedings of the 5th IFOAM International

Scientific Conference at the University of Kassel (Germany).

 

Linder, M.C. 1973. A review of the evidence for food quality

differences in relation to fertilization of the soil with organic and

mineral fertilizers. Bio-Dynamics. No. 107. p. 1-12.

 

Mader, P., et al. 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

Horticulturae. Vol. 339. p. 11-31.

 

Maga, J.A., F.D. Moore, and N. Shima. 1976. Yield, nitrate level and

sensory properties of spinach as influenced by organic and mineral

nitrogen fertilizer levels. J. Sci. Food Agric. Vol. 27. p. 10-9-114.

 

 

Maga, Joseph A. 1983. Organically grown foods. p. 305-349. In:

Knorr, Dietrich (ed.) Sustainable Food Systems. The AVI Publishing

Co., Westport, CT.

 

McSheehy, T.W. 1975. Reproductive performance of rabbits on organic

and inorganic leys. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human

Nutrition. Vol. 25, No. 2. p.193-203.

 

McSheehy, T.W. 1977. Nutritive value of wheat grown under organic and

chemical systems of farming. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for

Human Nutrition. Vol. 27. p. 113-123.

 

Mozafer, Ahmad. 1993. Plant Vitamins: Agronomic, Physiological, and

Nutritional Aspects. Chapter 5. Plant's Nutritional Status and Vitamin

Content. p. 157-237. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 412 p.

 

Mozafar, A. 1994. Enrichment of some B vitamins in plants with

application of organic fertilizers. Plant and Soil. Vol. 167: 305-311.

 

 

Peavy, W.S. and J.K. Greig. 1972. Organic and mineral fertilizers

compared by yield, quality and composition of spinach. J. Am. Sci.

Hort. Sci. Vol. 96. p. 718-723.

 

Petterson, B.D. and E.V. Wistinghausen. 1979. Effects of Organic and

Inorganic Fertilizers on Soils and Crops. Miscellaneous Publication No.

1. Woods End Agricultural Institute, Mt. Vernon, ME.

 

Pimpini, F., L. Giardini, M. Borin, and G. Gianquinto. 1992. Effects

of poultry manure and mineral fertilizers on the quality of crops. J.

Agric. Sci. Vol. 118, No. 2. p. 215-221.

 

Rending, V.V. and D.S. Mickelsen. 1976. Plant Protein Composition as

Influenced by Environment and Culture Practices. University of

California, Special Publications No. 3058.

 

Samuel, A.M. and J. East. 1990. Organically grown wheat ? the effect

of crop husbandry on grain quality. Aspects Appl. Biol. Vol. 25. p.

199-208.

 

Schuphan, W. 1972. Effects of the application of inorganic and organic

manures on the market quality and on the biological value of

agricultural products. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human

Nutrition. Vol. 21. p. 381-398.

 

Schuphan, W. 1974. Nutritional value of crops influenced by organic

and inorganic fertilizer treatments ? results of 12 years’ experiments

with vegetables. Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.

Vol. 23. p. 333-358.

 

Schuphan, W. 1975. Yield maximization versus biological value.

Qualitas Planatarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Vol. 24. p.

281-310.

 

Schultz, D.G., K. Koch, K.-H. Kromer, and U. Kopke. 1997. Quality

comparison of mineral, organic and biodynamic cultivation of potatoes:

contents, strength criteria, sensory investigations, and

picture-creating methods. p. 115-120. In: William Lockeretz (ed.)

Agricultural Production and Nutrition. Tufts University School of

Nutrition Science and Policy, Held March 19-21, Boston, MA.

 

Schultz, D.G., and U. Kopke. 1997. The quality index: A holistic

approach to describe the quality of food. p. 47-52. In: William

Lockeretz (ed.) Agricultural Production and Nutrition. Tufts

University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Held March 19-21,

Boston, MA.

 

Sheets, Olive. 1946. The Relation of Soil Fertility to Human

Nutrition. Mississippi State College, Agricultural Experiment Station

Bulletin No. 437. 20 p.

 

Shier, N. W., et. al. 1984. A comparison of crude protein, moisture,

ash and crop yield between organic and conventionally grown wheat.

Nutrition Reports International. Vol. 30, No. 1. p. 71-77.

 

Smith, Bob L. 1993. Organic foods vs supermarket foods: Element

levels. Journal Of Applied Nutrition. Vol. 45, No. 1. p. 35-39.

 

Srikumar, T.S. and P.A. Ockerman. 1990. The effects of fertilization

and manuring on the content of some nutrients in potato (var. Provita).

Food Chem. Vol. 37, No. 1. p. 47-60.

 

Srikumar, T.S. and P.A. Ockerman. 1991. The effects of organic and

inorganic fertilization on the content of trace elements in cereal

grains. Food Chem. Vol. 42, No. 2. p. 225-230.

 

Starling, W. and M.C. Richards. 1990. Quality of organically grown

wheat and barley. Aspects Appl. Biol. Vol. 25. p. 193-198.

 

Starling, W. and M.C. Richards. 1993. Quality of commercial samples of

organically grown wheat. Aspects Appl. Biol. Vol. 36. p. 205-209.

 

Stopes, C., L. Woodward, G. Forde, and H. Voghtmann. 1988. The nitrate

content of vegetable and salad crops offered to the consumer as from

“organic” or “conventional” production systems. Biological Agriculture

and Horticulture. Vol. 5. p. 215-221.

 

Svec, L.V., C.A. Thoroughgood, and H.C.S. Mok. 1976. Chemical

evaluation of vegetables grown with conventional or organic soil

amendments. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. Vol. 7, No. 2. p. 213-228.

 

Warman, P.R. and K.A. Havard. 1996. Yield, vitamin and mineral content

of four vegetables grown with either composted manure or conventional

fertilizer. Journal of Vegetable Crop Production. Vol. 2, No. 1. p.

13-25.

 

Warman, P.R. and K.A. Havard. 1997. Yield, vitamin and mineral

contents of organically and conventionally grown carrots and cabbage.

Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. Vol. 61, No. 2-3. p. 155-162.

 

 

Wolff, X.Y. 1991. Species, cultivar, and soil amendments influence

fruit production of two Physalis species. HortScience. Vol. 26, No.

12. p. 1558-1559.

 

 

 

--

 

 

New Citations That Look Interesting:

Boisen, S., Hvelplund, T. & Weisbjerg, M.R. 2000. Ideal amino acid

profiles as a basis for feed protein evaluation. Livest. Prod. Sci. 64,

239-251.

 

Harder, L., Christensen, L.P., Christensen, B.T. & Brandt, K., 1998.

Contents of flavonoids and other phenolics in wheat plants grown with

different levels of organic fertilizer. Polyphenols Comminications 98,

495-496.

 

Premuzic, Z., M. Bargiela, A. Garcia, & A. Iorio. 1998. Calcium,

iron, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin C content of organic and

hydroponic tomatoes. HortScience. Vol. 33, No. 2. p. 255-257.

 

 

 

--

 

 

Recent Web Additions:

Nitrate in Leafy Vegetables: Comparing Conventional and Organic Lettuce

and Spinach in California

Joji Muramoto, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems

University of California, Santa Cruz

http://www.agroecology.org/people/joji/research/nitrate.htm

 

Abstract; links to the full 66-page report, a PDF download

The Effect of Pre-Crop and Fertilization on Baking Quality of Organic

Spring Wheat

NJF-Workshop i ekologisk livsmedelskvalitet. Uppsala, 19-20 oktober 1998

 

http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/njf/utredn_rapporter/NUR128/NUR128F.HTM

 

 

--

 

 

Web Links:

Bibliographies

 

Organically Produced Foods: Nutritive Content

Special Reference Briefs Series No. SRB 2000-03

Compiled by Mary V. Gold (June 2000)

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural

Library

http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb0003.htm

 

Product Quality: (Nutritive Value, Contamination and Residues,

Food Hygiene, Chemical Composition, Additives, Sensory Evaluation)

Ready-Made Bibliographical List, FAO Organic Agriculture

Compiled by Anika Seebert (September 1999)

http://www.fao.org/organicag/doc/ProductQuality.doc

 

Organics and Nutrition/Related Issues Reference List

Diane Bourn, Department of Consumer Sciences,

University of Otago, New Zealand

http://www.gks.com/library/nutrition/organics.nutrition.ref.html

 

The Firman Bear " Report "

 

Variation in Mineral Composition of Vegetables

Firman E. Bear, Stephen J. Toth, and Arthur L. Prince

http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/bearreport/index.html

 

The Rutgers University study reprinted from Soil Science Society of

America Proceedings 1948, Volume 13. pp. 380-4, The Soil Science Society

of America, Madison, Wisconsin, 1949.

Nutrition and Biodynamics

Nutrition and Biodynamics: Evidence for the Nutritional Superiority of

Organic Crops

by Virginia Worthington MS, ScD, CNS.

[Originally published in Biodynamics, Vol. 224, July/August, 1999)

http://www.biodynamics.com/biodynamicsarticles/worth.html

 

Note: This is one of the better literature reviews on this subject in

recent years. Worthington presents the data in an easy-to-understand

way, accompanied with an extensive list of literature citations. She

concludes:

" We have seen a pattern of better nutrient composition in organic crops,

better health in animals consuming organic food and the existence of

known mechanisms explaining observed differences between organic and

conventional crops. Biodynamic crops performed extremely well on the

most important measure, the health of consumers. Whatever problems

there may be with the quantity or quality of existing studies, the body

of evidence, at a minimum, provides strong indications that organic

crops are more nutritious. "

European Research

Long-Term Field Experiment in Sweden: Effects of Organic and Inorganic

Fertilizers on Soil Fertility and Crop Quality

(In Proceedings of an International Conference in Boston, Tufts

University,

Agricultural Production and Nutrition, Massachusetts March 19-21, 1997.)

 

By Artur Granstedt & Lars Kjellenberg

http://www.jdb.se/sbfi/publ/boston/boston7.html

 

Influences of Bio-Dynamic and Organic Treatments on Yield and Quality of

Wheat and Potatoes: The way to Applied Allelopathy

Sustainable Agriculture Research Group and Biological Sciences

Department. Wye College, University of London

http://www.wye.ac.uk/agriculture/sarg/oral96.html

 

Qualitative Assay Methods from Anthroposophy & Biodynamic Agriculture,

The European Contribution

 

Capillary Dynamolysis by Adam McLean

First published in the Hermetic Journal 1980.

http://www.levity.com/alchemy/kolisko.html

 

Capillary Dynamolysis by David J. Heaf

Science Group of Anthroposophy in Great Britain

http://www.anth.org.uk/Science/capdyn.htm

 

Sensitive Crystallization Anaylsis (Now in English!!)

Hagalis Assoziation, Switzerland

http://www.hagalis.purespace.de/PuretecEnglisch/Kristeng/ppframe.htm

Sensitive Crystallisation Slide Show. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!!!

 

The Renaissance of Farming: A Vision for Organic Farming in the

21st Century, Proceedings

Soil Association Conference, 7-9 January 2000

Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester (UK)

 

Measuring Food Quality

Peter Segger for Dr Ursula Balzer-Graf - Institute of Vital Quality,

Switzerland

5-page paper, PDF download

APPENDIX III: Dr Ursula Balzer-Graf's Slides

15-pages of accompanying slides, PDF download

 

Side-by-side comparisons of sensitive crystallisation, capillary

dynamolysis, and circular-paper chromatography for different samples of

food and the influence of farming practices.

Farming, Plant Nutrition and Food Quality

Jens-Otto Anderson - Research Assistant, University of Copenhagen

4-page paper, PDF download

[Duplicated in HTML at:]

[http://www.pmac.net/farming_nutrition.html]

 

The Renaissance of Farming Proceedings Located at:

Soil Association | Library | Research Papers

THE RENAISSANCE OF FARMING

Conference Proceedings 7-9/1/2000

http://www.soilassociation.org

 

There is a Difference! - Famous Chromatograms from Dr. Ehrenfried

Pfeiffer

Galaxy Nutrients

http://www.galaxynutrients.com/Difference.html

Circular Chromatography Images: A Comparative Look at Natural vs

Synthetic Products Using the 'Chroma' Method

Special Thanks to Human Dimensions Institute

http://ncatark.uark.edu/~steved/chromas.html

 

Ecological Agriculture & Food Quality, Papers from Sweden

 

What Do We Know About the Quality of Organic Foods?

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slv/var_foda/VFA95-8/VFA95-8R.HTM

 

Characterization of Organically Produced Milk

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slu/ekologiskt_lantbruk/EKL05/EKL05AO.HTM

 

 

Well Educated Consumers Prefer Ecological Milk

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slu/forskningsnytt/FLN98-01/FLN98-01D.HTM

 

 

Quality in Ecological Agriculture

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slu/ekologiskt_lantbruk/EKL05/EKL05AN.HTM

 

 

The Relation Between Quality and Quantity in Food

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/slu/ekologiskt_lantbruk/EKL05/EKL05AQ.HTM

 

 

The Effect of Pre-Crop and Fertilization on Baking Quality of Organic

Spring Wheat

NJF-Workshop i ekologisk livsmedelskvalitet. Uppsala, 19-20 oktober 1998

 

http://zeus.bibul.slu.se/documents/njf/utredn_rapporter/NUR128/NUR128F.HTM

 

 

A Primer on Quality, from USDA

 

What is Quality and How Can We Measure It?

Judith A. Abbott, USDA-ARS, Horticultural Crops Quality Laboratory,

1997 Annual International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide

Alternatives

and Emissions Reductions

http://www.epa.gov/spdpublc/mbr/1997airc/060abbott.pdf

 

Papers and Reports from IFOAM and FAO

 

Producing and Marketing Quality Organic Products: Opportunities and

Challenges

6th IFOAM Trade Conference: Quality and Communication for the Organic

Market,

October 1999 Hartwig de Haen1, Assistant Director-General, Economic and

Social Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United

Nations

http://www.fao.org/organicag/doc/IFOAMf-e.htm

 

Food Safety and Quality as Affected by Organic Farming

Twenty Second FAO Regional Conference for Europe, July 2000

http://www.fao.org/regional/europe/erp/papes/english/erc007e.doc

[Document]

http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/X4983e.htm

 

IFOAM 2000: The World Grows Organic

13th International IFOAM Scientific Conference Programme

http://www.ifoam2000.ch/conferent/confprogr.htm

 

IFOAM 2000 | Workshop 2.3: Organic Foods and Human Health

http://www.ifoam2000.ch/progr/prog05.htm

IFOAM 2000 | Session 2.1: Quality of Organic Products - Part 1

http://www.ifoam2000.ch/progr/prog38.htm

 

IFOAM 2000 | Session 2.1: Quality of Organic Products - Part 2

http://www.ifoam2000.ch/progr/prog46.htm

 

IFOAM 2000 | Workshop 2.2: Methods of Quality Assessment

http://www.ifoam2000.ch/progr/prog75.htm

 

Position Paper from Government Food Safety

Agency in the UK

The Food Standards Agency's (United Kingdom) View on

Organic Food - A Position Paper (August 2000)

http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/pdf_files/organicview.pdf

 

Thread on Nutrient Depleted Foods from Rodale Gardening

 

Our Food is Becoming Less Nutritious. Why?

Rodale Organic Gardening.com

http://www.organicgardening.com/watchdog/usda_summary.html

 

What's Happening To Our Foods?

http://www.organicgardening.com/library/novdec_watchdogusda.html

The USDA's Response to OG About Nutrient Decline

http://www.organicgardening.com/watchdog/usda_reply.html

 

Popular Press Articles

Is Organically Grown Food More Nutritious?

by Virginia Worthington, ScD

The Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation article

http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/OrganicNutrition.html'>http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/OrganicNutrition.html

 

Customers Can't Get Enough of Ripe, Juicy Peaches

By Geraldine Warner

http://www.goodfruit.com/archive/Apr1-98/special2.html

 

Organic Food IS More Nutritious!

by Robert (Bob) F. Heltman

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, November 1997

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/organicnutritious.html

 

Eating Naturally - Organic Foods

Consumer magazine, New Zealand

http://www.consumer.org.nz/consumer/jan99-organic.html

 

Organic Foods: Eating What Comes Naturally

Natural Resources Defense Council

http://www.nrdc.org/health/farming/forg101.asp

 

Mineralization Viewpoint: Organic Farmers Need to Pay

Attention to Minerals Too

 

The Bad News About Organic Food

Green Screens, April 1999

http://www.olywa.net/speech/april99/kline.html

 

Viewpoints from Organic Farming Organizations

 

Why Certified Organic Food Is Better Food

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

http://www.mofga.org/food.html

 

Super Nutrition from Organic Food - Research Proposal

Organic Retailers & Growers Association of Australia (ORGAA)

http://www.netspeed.com.au/cogs/orgaa.htm

 

Are We Stuck in an Organic Quality Rut?

Chris Alenson, Organic Advisory Service,

Organic Retailers & Growers Association of Australia

http://www.netspeed.com.au/cogs/cogovsn.htm

 

Nutritional Study Data, Organic Retailers and Growers Association of

Australia

Chris Alenson, Organic Advisory Service,

Organic Retailers & Growers Association of Australia

http://www.ofa.org.au/orgaastudy.html

 

Historically Important Books on Nutrition and Diet from

Weston Price & Francis Pottenger

 

The Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation

http://www.price-pottenger.org

 

Weston Price's Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: Book review

By Steve Solomon at Soil and Health Library

http://www.soilandhealth.org/02healthlibrary/0203longevitycat/020305ppnf/PPNF.HT\

ML

 

 

Weston Price's Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A Potpourri of

Price's Photos

By Steve Solomon at Soil and Health Library

http://www.soilandhealth.org/02healthlibrary/0203longevitycat/020305ppnf/PPNFpar\

tII.html

 

 

Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Health Papers from Sir Albert Howard and

Sir Robert McCarrison

 

Cheshire Medical Testament -- With testamony and letters of Albert

Howard, Sir Robert

McCarrsion and Lionel Picton

At Soil and Health Library

http://www.soilandhealth.org/02healthlibrary/0203longevitycat/020308testament.ht\

ml

 

 

Nutrition and National Health

The Cantor Lectures, delivered before The Royal Society of Arts in 1936

By Sir Robert McCarrison

At Soil and Health Library

http://www.soilandhealth.org/02healthlibrary/0203longevitycat/020306mccarrision/\

mccarrison.html

 

 

FAO Documentation on Nutrition & Storage of

Fruits, Vegetables, & Grains

 

1.

Chapter 2. General properties of fruit and vegetables; chemical

composition and nutritional aspects; structural features

 

Fruit and Vegetable Processing

FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin No.119

http://www.fao.org/docrep/V5030E/V5030E00.htm

 

2.

Chapter 1.2. Food security, nutrition and health

1.2.1. Improvements to home processing and storage

 

Guidelines for Small-Scale Fruit and Vegetable Processors

FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin No. 127

http://www.fao.org/docrep/W6864E/W6864E00.htm

 

3.

Prevention of Post-Harvest Food Losses Fruits, Vegetables and Root

Crops:

A Training Manual

FAO Training Series No. 17/2

http://www.fao.org/docrep/T0073E/T0073E00.htm

 

4.

Post-Harvest Losses in Quality of Food Grains [book Review]

FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No. 29

http://www.fao.org/icatalog/book_review/giii/W8857-e.htm

 

General Nutrition Information

 

Nutrition and Food on the Web - Finding the Right Stuff

Jean Fremont, RD. School of Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

http://www.sfu.ca/~jfremont/

 

The Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC)

National Agricultural Library

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/

 

USDA Food Composition Laboratory/Databases

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/

 

USDA's Food Guide Pyramid Booklet

http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/pyrabklt.pdf

 

Minerals for Plants, Animals and Man

Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development

http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/agdex/500/531-3.html

 

Food Consumption & Diet-Health-Environment Connection

 

Guidelines for Personal and Environmental Health: A Report on Food

Consumption in Canada and the Diet-Health-Environment Connection

by Jennifer Lombardi, BSc. McGill University

Special Topics Course, Supervised by J. Henning (April 1997)

http://eap.mcgill.ca/library/enig1.htm

 

Background Paper on Fertization and Crop Quality

 

Balanced Fertilization and Crop Quality

By R. Härdter and A. Krauss

IFA Agricultural Conference on " Managing Plant Nutrition "

Barcelona, Spain. 29 June - 2 July 1999

http://www.fertilizer.org/PUBLISH/barc23.pdf

 

Handbook on Organic Food Processing and Production

 

Handbook of Organic Food Processing and Production, Second Edition

Editors: Simon Wright, Diane McCrea

Blackwell Science, September 2000

http://www.blackwell-science.com/~cgilib/bookpage.bin?File=10012685

 

Response from the Food Industry

 

Current Hot Topics: Organic Food

Institute of Food Science & Technology

http://www.ifst.org/hottop24.htm

 

Organic Industry Groups Spread Fear for Profit;

Report Details Multi-Decade, Ongoing Campaigns to Create

Consumer Distrust and Fear Over Conventional Foods

http://www.NoMoreScares.com/news/organic.htm

 

Marketing & The Organic Food Industry: A History of Food

Fears, Market Manipulation and Misleading Consumers

http://www.NoMoreScares.com/images/iea.pdf

 

The Hidden Dangers in Organic Food

American Outlook Magazine, Fall 1998

Dennis T. Avery

http://www.hudson.org/American_Outlook/articles_fa98/avery.htm

 

Organic Industry Response to Food Industry Media Spinners

 

Response to Dennis Avery's Criticism of Organic Food

By Tim Marshall, in Acres Australia

http://www.ofa.org.au/averymain.htm

 

 

 

 

--

 

 

--

 

 

Note: The nutritional quality of food raised by organic farming in

comparison to conventional farming is a current topic that continues to

attract interest and generate discussion. This document summarizes some

of the viewpoints and provides a collection of in-print and on-line

resources.

Conclusion: The author concludes that an organic food label, itself,

does not insure superior quality, primarily due to the fact that

supermarket produce is pooled from anonymous sources, and farm-to-farm

and geographical variability with regards to nutritional composition of

food is a certainty. There are many factors affecting the nutrition of

food, including soil type, variety, and post-harvest handling. In

addition, soil testing, mineral supplementation, and biological soil

management are practices that vary from farm to farm.

 

Nevertheless, eco-labels exist to assure consumers that foods are

produced according to ecological standards and guidelines, and organic

labeled foods do meet these guideliness.

 

Lastly, the special attention to food quality inherent to the organic

agriculture movement is fundamentally important to this discussion.

Whether from the biodynamic, eco-farming, or organic persuasion, a large

number of farmers and researchers have developed a keen insight into

soil health and food quality, as well as novel and innovative methods of

qualitative analysis. Hopefully, this knowledge will continue to evolve

and lead to more widely accepted production techniques that are known,

for example, to influence qualitative parameters like Brix, amino acid

makeup and protein content, vitamin levels, biophoton emissions, flavor

components, beneficial phytochemicals, etc.

 

If you have comments, suggestions, or resources to share on this

material, please send them to: Steve Diver <ste-;

 

 

 

 

--

 

 

Compiled by:

Steve Diver

ATTRA Technical Specialist

Last Revised January 2002

 

ATTRA Web Page

http://www.attra.org

 

Rhizosphere II: Publications, Resource Lists, and Web Links from Steve

Diver

http://ncatark.uark.edu/~steved/index.html

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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