‘Organic food not so healthy’

LONDON: Debunking the myth of superiority of organic  food over ordinary one, leading scientists have claimed that the  former is not healthier than the latter.

There was little evidence that an organic diet provides greater  nutritional benefits or that non-organic crops grown using  pesticides and chemical fertilisers are more harmful than their organic competitors, the scientists claimed.

Tom Sanders, the professor of nutrition and dietetics at Kings College London, claimed that organic food has no higher nutritional  value compared to conventional food, the Daily Telegraph reported.

‘’It is a fantastic opportunity to make money out of people  because you can charge more for the food,’’ he said.

Prof Sanders also attacked arguments that animal welfare in  organic meat was far better.  As health is the major motivational factor behind purchase of  organic products, producers point to research showing that organic food contains higher levels of nutrients, but scientists claim there  were just as many studies that have found no added benefits.