A COMPARISON OF MINERAL CONTENT IN ORGANICALLY AND CONVENTIONALLY GROWN ALMONDS Jill Vrastil; Wendy Reiboldt, PhD; Cheryl Rock, PhD; Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez, PhD California State University, Long Beach Abstract: The current debate over whether conventional or organic farming is superior has produced an abundance of literature, however, only a small portion is devoted to mineral composition of foods ready for consumption. The purpose of this study was to compare mineral content in conventional versus organic foods, specifically, almonds. Almonds are a convenient and popular food and are part of a healthful diet. Three samples each of conventional and organic almonds were lab tested for calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc quantites. Results of the analyses showed no significant differences in conventional versus organic almonds for calcium (p = .359), iron (p = .368), magnesium (p = .921), potassium (p = .129), or zinc (p = .875). Although this data suggests little difference in mineral content between the conventional and organic group, the small sample size (n = 6) provides unsubstantial evidence that a difference may not exist in larger samples. INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND METHODOLOGY SUMMARY & CONCLUSION Differences in conventional and organic farming: Consumer and Farmer Perceptions Ecological and Environmental Impact Pesticides and Pathogens Soil Composition Food Composition Purpose of this study: Compare conventional and organic food products by testing mineral content Setting up the study: Almonds are nutrient dense, convenient, and abundant Five essential minerals of interest: calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc Limited research investigating mineral composition between conventionally and organically farmed foods Mineral content more reliant on soil composition based on location and farming practices, such as fertilizing and tilling (Pimentel et al., 2005) Review of the literature did not strongly indicate that differences would be found in conventional vs. organic almonds Samples Three packages conventionally grown almonds Three packages organically grown almonds Purchased in southern California markets Procedure Mineral analyses conducted using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) - Atomic Emission Spectrometry (AES) Detection limits for all minerals were 5.0 parts per million (PPM), except zinc, which had a detection limit of 1.0 PPM Results reported as mineral content in milligrams (mg) per 100 g of almonds Statistical Analyses SPSS Version 24.0: Independent-Samples t- Tests (significance level of p = 0.05) Assumption of homogeneity of variance tested using Levene's test (significance > .05) Summary No statistically significant difference found when comparing quantity of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, or zinc between conventionally grown and organically grown almonds Small effect size found in iron Medium effect size found in calcium and potassium No effect size found in magnesium or zinc High variability within groups Limitations Small sample size (6 total) Little known about specific farm practices, only conventional or organic label Almond age and variety unknown Limited growing regions available Conclusion Farming practices may be nutritionally equivalent when considering mineral content Mineral content likely dependent on soil composition and fertilization methods Results support the reevaluation and redefining of modern farming practices Implications for the Future Samples should be accompanied by qualitative analysis to account for possible differences in mineral content More comprehensive testing could paint a better picture of overall nutritional content, such as adding vitamin and macronutrient quantities California produced approximately 2,002,742 tonnes of almonds in 2016 (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2017). PURPOSE & HYPOTHESES Purpose of this study Specifically, this study compared mineral content in samples of conventional and organic almonds. Hypotheses H0 1: No significant difference in calcium content between organic and conventional almonds. H0 2: No significant difference in iron content between organic and conventional almonds. H0 3: No significant difference in magnesium content between organic and conventional almonds. H0 4: No significant difference in potassium content between organic and conventional almonds. H0 5: No significant difference in zinc content between organic and conventional almonds. RESULTS Results of the Mineral Analyses: Results of Independent Samples t-Tests: Almonds, scientifically known as Prunus dulcis, are the number one produced tree nut in the world (Chen, Lapsley, & Blumberg, 2006). t = -1.906, p = .129 r = 0.481 t = -.462, p = .668 r = 0.237 CONTACT t = 1.035, p = .359 r = 0.460 t = .110, p = .921 r = 0.074 JILL VRASTIL Email: JILL.VRASTIL@GMAIL.COM Phone: (310) 529-1817