36-6 |
Research challenges for organic foods |
J. MONTECALVO, JR., Food Science & Nutrition Dept., California Polytechnic State Univ., 1 Grand Ave., 112 Agricultural Sciences Bldg., San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0258 Retail sales of increasingly affordable organic products reached approximately 8 billion in the US in the year 2001. Today one out of every four Americans buys organic products. Indeed, over the past decade the market has grown by 15 to 20 percent every year a rate over five times faster than food sales in general with sales expected to top 11 billion this year. Clearly consumers are sending a message to the US food industry. This paper will focus on addressing the widely held belief that organic food products are healthier, presumably due to superior soil management and fertilization practices as used in organic farming operations. Additionally, a recent IFT expert report suggests that there is insufficient scientific data and information available to ensure that food borne pathogens are killed or inactivated during composting and applying manure, both of which are used extensively in both organic and conventional crops production. Compost is a major source of fertilizer used for growing organic produce. Therefore there is a clear and defined need for much additional research in determining the limited claims of nutritional advantages and issues of comparative food safety. Further studies have shown that organic food products contain an average of a third as many pesticide residues as conventionally grown foods. All of the controversial issues of enhanced, nutritional quality and reduction in pesticide levels have provided consumers an alternative choice in the market place. This paper will focus on what additional research needs to be conducted in order to more clearly understand the proposed benefits of consumption of organic food products.
Session 36, Organic foods in the post USDA final rule era
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