A world-wide awareness of health issues have resulted in more and more people deciding to go organic especially in terms of the food choices they make when they go grocery shopping for their families. For most people this move is the result of a belief that organic food contributes more to one’s health because of increased nutrients. There are many who have also made the switch because of the better taste they believe organic foods have.

Aided by this move and perception, the organic industry last year grew by a whopping 18% in the US alone. Coming on the heels of these ‘positive’ developments for the organic industry is the latest study conducted in the UK. This study, commissioned by UK’s FSA (Food Standard Agency) was led by Dr. Alan Dangour, (who is a Public Health Nutritionist) and a team of experts from the well-known London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The study took into consideration and examined data that has been compiled over the past 50 years. The results have rocked the world, especially the organic industries and all the consumers who’ve been forking out more money to pay for what they believe are healthier products. The findings of the research study revealed that vegetables and fruits, as well as dairy products obtained from cattle that are organic-food fed bring no additional nutritional value to humans than their industrially produced counterparts.

Before you take this at face value though, it’s important to note that Dr. Alan Dangour is a nutritionist and therefore restricted his study to the nutritional aspect which does not take into consideration the effects of pesticides and insecticides which are ever present in regularly grown or processed food products.

The study revealed that there are minimal nutrient differences between organically grown and chemically grown fruits, vegetables and other processed food products including dairy and meat items. So minimal are these differences that Dr. Alan Dangour believes they’re practically irrelevant.

Though a whopping 52,000 scientific papers were looked at in the course of the study, only 162 of them were said to be relevant to the study and that number went further down to 55 as the experts continued to search out those papers that met their quality standards.

The organic industry along with The Soil Association, obviously aren’t pleased with this study and its results which they believe hasn’t taken into consideration some important factors. Dr. Dangour said that the impact of pesticides and insecticides might be the next area to be studied though there are no concrete plans for such a research as yet.

This, however, isn’t the last word on the issue so consumers will have to keep watching and waiting. A second study in this area is now being awaited. This study led by Carlo Leifert, of Brussels is set to be published this very year. Leifert is a professor in the field of Ecological Farming and is currently employed at Newcastle University.

In response to Dr. Dangour’s study Professor Liefert has revealed that his study has found organic foods to be richer in antioxidants which he points out are helpful in combating heart disease and cancer.

Looking beyond the nutritional benefits, of organic food, consumers and researchers alike will be able to appreciate the benefits that organic farming has on the environment.