Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review

Dangour, Alan D; Dodhia, Sakhi K; Hayter, Arabella; Allen, Elizabeth; Lock, Karen; Uauy, Ricardo

doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28041

Cited by 438Organic Food and AgricultureFood and Agricultural SciencesConsumer Attitudes and Food Labeling

Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review

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Dangour, Alan D, Dodhia, Sakhi K, Hayter, Arabella, Allen, Elizabeth, Lock, Karen, Uauy, Ricardo·2009·The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

DOI 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28041

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Abstract

Background Despite growing consumer demand for organically produced foods, information based on a systematic review of their nutritional quality is lacking.Objective We sought to quantitatively assess the differences in reported nutrient content between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs.Design We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and CAB Abstracts for a period of 50 y from 1 January 1958 to 29 February 2008, contacted subject experts, and hand-searched bibliographies. We included peer-reviewed articles with English abstracts in the analysis if they reported nutrient content comparisons between organic and conventional foodstuffs. Two reviewers extracted study characteristics, quality, and data. The analyses were restricted to the most commonly reported nutrients.Results From a total of 52,471 articles, we identified 162 studies (137 crops and 25 livestock products); 55 were of satisfactory quality. In an analysis that included only satisfactory-quality studies, conventionally produced crops had a significantly higher content of nitrogen, and organically produced crops had a significantly higher content of phosphorus and higher titratable acidity. No evidence of a difference was detected for the remaining 8 of 11 crop nutrient categories analyzed. Analysis of the more limited database on livestock products found no evidence of a difference in nutrient content between organically and conventionally produced livestock products.Conclusions On the basis of a systematic review of studies of satisfactory quality, there is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. The small differences in nutrient content detected are biologically plausible and mostly relate to differences in production methods.

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Compared with conventionally grown foods, organically grown foods can contain higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and fewer pesticide residues, but have similar nutrient profiles in many other respects.
“Compared with conventionally grown foods, organically grown foods can contain higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and fewer pesticide residues; yet, they also have similar nutrient profiles in many other respects.124-126”
From Dietary and Policy Priorities for Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Obesity: A Comprehensive Review (2016) · cites this paper as [124]
Compared with conventionally grown foods, organically grown foods can contain higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and fewer pesticide residues, but have similar nutrient profiles in many other respects.
“Compared with conventionally grown foods, organically grown foods can contain higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and fewer pesticide residues; yet, they also have similar nutrient profiles in many other respects.124-126”
From Dietary and Policy Priorities for Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Obesity: A Comprehensive Review (2016) · cites this paper as [125]
Some studies have used unweighted analytical methods to avoid the loss of information associated with conducting weighted meta-analyses on a subset of the available information.
“However, some studies have used unweighted analytical methods( 19 ) to avoid the loss of information associated with conducting weighted meta-analyses on a subset of the available information.”
From Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses (2014) · cites this paper as [19]
There is still considerable controversy as to whether the use of organic production standards results in significant and consistent changes in the concentrations of potentially health-promoting and potentially harmful compounds in crops and crop-based foods.
“As a result, there is still considerable controversy as to whether the use of organic production standards results in significant and consistent changes in the concentrations of potentially health-promoting (e.g. antioxidants, (poly)phenolics, vitamins and certain minerals) and potentially harmful (e.g. Cd and Pb) compounds in crops and crop-based foods( 7 , 19 – 22 ).”
From Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses (2014) · cites this paper as [19]
Several systematic literature reviews have recently analysed available published information, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, with the aim of identifying potential effects of organic and conventional production protocols on the nutritional quality of crops.
“Several systematic literature reviews have recently analysed the available published information, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, with the aim of identifying the potential effects of organic and conventional production protocols on the nutritional quality of crops( 19 – 21 ).”
From Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses (2014) · cites this paper as [19]

Previous systematic reviews had methodological limitations: they used different methodologies and inclusion criteria, did not cover most of the large amount of information published in the last 4-5 years, provided no structured assessment of the strength of the evidence presented, and came to contrasting conclusions.
“However, these systematic reviews (1) used different methodologies (e.g. weighted and unweighted meta-analyses) and inclusion criteria, (2) did not cover most of the large amount of information published in the last 4–5 years, (3) provided no structured assessment of the strength of the evidence presented, and (4) came to contrasting conclusions.”
From Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses (2014) · cites this paper as [19]
In Dangour et al. (19), published data from surveys and field experiments were not included in meta-analyses, reducing number of data sets and sensitivity.
“In the study carried out by Dangour et al. ( 19 ), published data from (1) surveys in which the organic samples were produced to ‘biodynamic-organic’ standards and (2) field experiments investigating associations between organic and conventional production protocols and crop composition were not included in the meta-analyses. This would have further reduced the number of data sets and sensitivity”
From Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses (2014) · cites this paper as [19]
This contradicts results of Dangour et al. (19) and Smith-Spangler et al. (21) that there are no significant composition differences between organic and conventional crops.
“However, it contradicts the results of the systematic reviews/meta-analyses by Dangour et al. ( 19 ) and Smith-Spangler et al. ( 21 ), which indicated that there are no significant composition differences between organic and conventional crops.”
From Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses (2014) · cites this paper as [19]
Pooling diverse information was necessary because for most composition parameters, the number of published studies available was not sufficient to carry out separate meta-analyses for specific countries/regions and crop types and species.
“As has been mentioned in previous reviews( 19 – 21 ), pooling diverse information was necessary, because for most of the composition parameters, the number of published studies available was not sufficient to carry out separate meta-analyses for specific countries/regions and crop types and species.”
From Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses (2014) · cites this paper as [19]
In contrast to previous literature reviews, the larger number of studies now available allowed separate meta-analyses to be carried out for different crop types (e.g. fruits, vegetables and cereals), but only for a limited number of composition parameters.
“In contrast to previous literature reviews( 19 – 21 ), the larger number of studies now available allowed separate meta-analyses to be carried out for different crop types (e.g. fruits, vegetables and cereals), but only for a limited number of composition parameters.”
From Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses (2014) · cites this paper as [19]

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Authors: Dangour, A. D., Dodhia, S. K., Hayter, A., Allen, E., Lock, K., & Uauy, R.
Affiliations: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
University of London (GB)
Corresponding author: Dangour, Alan D
ORCID: Dangour, Alan D
Allen, Elizabeth
Lock, Karen
Uauy, Ricardo
Venue: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2009-09
Volume: 90
Issue: 3
Pages: 680-685
ISSN: 0002-9165 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28041
OpenAlex: W2130827812
Cited by: 438
References: 16
Citations by year: 2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 33 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 43
FWCI: 3.26
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ (vor, 4922 d)
Locations: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Organic Food and Agriculture
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food and Agricultural Sciences
Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling
Keywords: organic food, conventional food, nutrient content, nitrogen, phosphorus, titratable acidity, livestock products, food quality
MeSH terms: Acids, Food Analysis, Humans, Nitrogen, Nutritive Value, Phosphorus, Crops, Agricultural, Food, Organic

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Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review

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