Food quality - Organic Agriculture: A Global Perspective - page 305

Chapter 13
Food quality
Kirsten Brandt*, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and Jens Peter Mølgaard, formerly
Danish Institute of Agricultural Science, Denmark
*Dr Kirsten Brandt, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle
NE1 7RU, United Kingdom. Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email: [e-mail]
Abstract
In response to the greatly increased market share of organic food, there is an increasing interest
in investigating whether there is any difference in the effects of organic and conventional food
on health. Previous studies have not been able to provide definitive proof for differences
between these two food production systems in terms of human health. This conclusion mainly
suggest that the designs of these studies were neither adequate to provide such proof, nor
targeted to those aspects where differences are most likely.
However, there are ample examples that the methods used for food production do make a
difference to food composition or other aspects of its quality, and that these differences are
large enough to make a real difference for the consumer in terms of health. While these differ-
ences may cause yet unproven general differences in food quality between organic and conven-
tional products, many of the methods that benefit food quality are not necessarily restricted to
either organic or conventional systems. Understanding the links between production methods
and food quality, therefore, allows improvement of the products of any system, whether organic
or conventional. However, some of these benefits are linked with what is common practice in
organic farming, and for these the main challenge can be to conserve existing quality benefits
during further development of the productivity of organic methods.
Introduction
Relationships between organic regulations and food quality
Organic food production is defined by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM) as a set of principles that should be fulfilled as much as possible, and by
the European Union (EU), and other international, national or private bodies and certifiers as
a legally binding certification standard, defining what is allowed and required in order to
qualify for this label (see Chapter 9 ). Although the IFOAM principles do mention quality as a
desired aim, none of the specified requirements actually refer to quality or safety, beyond
general requirements that need to be observed by all food producers. In a stringent sense, the
quality of organic food is thus a process quality rather than a product quality. For the primary
production steps in the supply chain, systematic effects on food quality are mainly, or only,
indirect, results of the specified farming methods. For example, banning synthetic fertiliser
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