1 Game changer? Organic vs conventional food The scientific evidence reveals substantial differences between organic and conventional food Despite official scepticism and even hostility, evidence is mounting that there are significant differences in the composition of organic and conventionally produced food and associations between the consumption of organic food and positive health The Nafferton Research Group at Newcastle University is at the forefront of this work. Dr. Gillian Butler will present results from studies on crops, milk, beef and human diet comparisons. If you are interested in food and health you need to know this information. The more people know about it, the greater the likelihood of changing the game.

As a short introduction to what Gillian will talk about!

Gillian Butler 1, Chris Seal 2, Carlo Leifert 1 1 Nafferton Ecological Farming Group (NEFG) 2 Human Nutrition Research Centre (HNRC), Newcastle University Evidence that organic production methods influences the nutritional composition of crops, dairy products and meat

UK- Food Standards Agency (FSA) Funded study: Dangour et al 2009

More recent evidence of composition differences between organic and conventional crops Barański, M., Średnicka-Tober, D., Volakakis, N., Seal, C., Sanderson, R., Stewart, G.B., Benbrook, C., Biavati, B., Markellou, E., Giotis, H., Gromadzka-Ostrowska, J., Rembiałkowska, E., Skwarło-Sonta, K.,, Tahvonen, R., Janovská, D., Niggli, U., Nicot,P. and Leifert, C. (2014) Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta- analysis. British Journal of Nutrition 112, For more information see:

Systematic literature review: 343 peer-reviewed papers cf FSA study (Dangour et al. 2009) : only 46 papers! (on crops, meat and dairy)

Primary assessment – antioxidant activity significantly higher in organic crops(+17-18%) mean % difference (MPD) n = 66 Weighted meta- analysis n = 160 Un- weighted meta- analysis P < 0.001

Explanatory assessment – antioxidant compounds MPD (%) * ** T *** * ns ** *** = P<0.001 ** = P<0.01 * = P<0.05 T = 0.1>P>0.05 ns = not significant ** T *** ** *** * ns ** *

Primary assessment – cadmium concentration significantly lower in organic crops (48-69%) mean % difference (MPD) n = 25 Weighted meta- Analysis P < n = 62 Un- weighted meta- Analysis P = 0.008

Primary assessment – pesticide residues less frequently detected in organic crops % positive samples P < (n = 66) Organic Non- organic

Pesticide concentrations in organic and conventional crops There were too few studies/data-sets reporting pesticide concentrations to compare organic and conventional crops Few individual studies where pesticide concentrations were compared, concentrations in conventional crops were times higher Why is the frequency of pesticide residues lower in organic crops? – The use of synthetic chemical pesticides is prohibited in organic farming – Organic farmers stick to the rules!!!!

. Nafferton Ecological Farming Group Composition differences between organic and conventional milk during summer (grazing) and winter (housed) % difference compared to conventional Milk components

. Nafferton Ecological Farming Group Omega-3 fatty acids in milk from conventional and organic herds in different EU countries (annual average) Country *** ** *** g kg -1 milk fat

Evidence for differences between organic and conventional milk Wagenaar, J.P., Klocke, P., Butler, G., Smolders, G., Nielsen, J.H., Canever, A., Leifert, C. (2011) Effect of production system, alternative treatments and calf rearing system on udder health in organic dairy cows. NJAS- Wageningen Journal of Life Science 58, Butler, G., Nielsen, J.H., Larsen, M.L., Rehberger, B., Stergiadis, S., Canever, A. and Leifert, C. (2011) The effects of dairy management and processing on quality characteristics of milk and dairy products. NJAS-Wageningen Journal of Life Science (NJAS) 58, Butler, G., Stergiadis, S., Seal, C., Eyre, M. & Leifert, C. (2011) Fat composition of organic and conventional retail milk in North East England. Journal of Dairy Science, 94, Butler. G., Nielsen, J.H., Slots, T., Seal, C., Eyre, M.D., Sanderson, R. & Leifert, C. (2008) Fatty acid and fat soluble antioxidant concentrations in milk from high and low input conventional and organic systems; seasonal variation. Journal of Science of Agriculture and Food, 88,

Iodine in milk: organic v conventional Evidence that iodine content of organic milk is lower than conventional milk (overall ~150 vs 250 µg/kg, regional differences, Bath et al 2012 ) Dairy is an important source of dietary iodine Critical during pregnancy and early development Organic sector ensuring livestock are not iodine deficient but care is needed … Consumption of milk and dairy products (and hence iodine intake) incredibly variable Margin between iodine toxicity and deficiency relatively narrow : 150 (250) vs 500 µg/day

Composition differences between organic and conventional meat Small retail study 2012: organic v conventional steak, summer v winter

Evidence: organic food consumption has a positive impact on human health  cohort or dietary intervention studies are extremely expensive  Only recently studies into the effect of organic food consumption  Accumulating evidence of positive health outcomes - 4 papers: 1.Norwegian cohort study involving pregnant women 2.two smaller cohort studies from The Netherlands and Denmark linking organic vegetable or dairy production to

2013 Journal of Urology 189,

-organic food consumption was associated with lower odds of hypospadia -closest associations were found with organic vegetable and milk/dairy product consumption

Thank you

Evidence for positive health impacts of organic crop consumption Hanne Torjusen, Anne Lise Brantsæter, Margareta Haugen, Jan Alexander, Leiv S Bakketeig, Geir Lieblein, Hein Stigum, Tormod Næs, Jackie Swartz, Gerd Holmboe-Ottesen, Gun Roos, Helle Margrete Meltzer Reduced risk of pre-eclampsia with organic vegetable consumption: results from the prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open 2014 doi /bmjopen

Evidence for positive health impacts of organic crop consumption Hanne Torjusen, Anne Lise Brantsæter, Margareta Haugen, Jan Alexander, Leiv S Bakketeig, Geir Lieblein, Hein Stigum, Tormod Næs, Jackie Swartz, Gerd Holmboe-Ottesen, Gun Roos, Helle Margrete Meltzer Reduced risk of pre-eclampsia with organic vegetable consumption: results from the prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open 2014 doi /bmjopen

Christensen, J.S. et al. (2013) Association between organic dietary choice during pregnancy and Hypospadias in offspring: A study of 306 boys operated for hypospadias. The Journal of Urology 189, “frequent consumption of high fat dairy products (milk, butter) while rarely or never choosing the organic alternative to these products during pregnancy was associated with increased odds of hypospadia” Brantsæter, A.L. et al. (2015) Organic food consumption during pregnancy and Hypospadia and Cryptorchidism at birth: The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Environmental Health Perspectives on line, doi /ehp organic food consumption was associated with lower odds of hypospadia -closest associations were found with organic vegetable and milk/dairy product consumption Evidence for positive health impacts of organic food consumption

Kummeling I, Thijs C, Huber M et al. (2008) Consumption of organic foods and risk of atopic disease during the first 2 years of life in the Netherlands. British Journal of Nutrition 99, linked organic dairy consumption to a significantly lower incidence in eczema in infants Evidence for positive health impacts of organic food consumption