The product quality and health implications of organic products

By M. Kouba

Abstract
'Organic' is a labelling term that denotes products that have been produced in accordance with organic standards. The organic label is not a health claim; it is a process claim. There is a high demand for organic products in industrialized countries. It is therefore important to carefully consider the quality and safety of organic foods in order to identify problems and issues that require attention.

The production of organic food of animal origin is done in many ways and uses many breeds. Therefore, a real comparison with conventionally produced food is difficult and there is a limited amount of published data.

No clear trends have been established in terms of nutritional and sensory quality differences between organic and conventional food. Organically produced food has lower levels of veterinary drugs and pesticides. Organic farming potentially reduces the risk of E. coli O157:H7 infection and food poisoning by other organisms.

The 'organic' label also provides assurance to consumers that no food ingredient has been subject to irradiation and that genetically modified organisms have been excluded. However, it seems that organic farming leads to a higher risk for the contamination of products by parasites of livestock and by microbes present in manure.

In summary, in some cases, organic food gets better marks, in others, conventionally produced food scores higher. In view of consumer expectations, it is important to carefully examine issues related to organic food quality and safety and make whatever interventions may be necessary to ensure an appropriate level of consumer protection.

Citation
Organic meat and milk from ruminants. Proceedings of a joint international conference organised by the Hellenic Society of Animal Production and the British Society of Animal Science, Athens, Greece, 4-6 October-2001. 2002; 57-64

IB: 9076998086
UD: 200200
AN: 20023108745