Organic food is often touted as the better option by health bloggers and foodies.
But now scientists have rubbished the claims, saying organic food is actually not worth the extra cost.
“It’s a little bit misleading. Many consumers imagine that organic farms don’t use pesticide. But organic farmers can still use pesticide, they just can’t be synthetically made – and some natural pesticides are a more serious health and environmental risk than synthetic ones.Natural doesn’t always mean better,” they said in a study published by the UK Daily Express newspaper.
Despite being up to 47 per cent more expensive, according to consumer reports, there is little solid evidence that organic food is actually better for you.
In fact a 2012 study by Stanford University analysed 237 previous studies of organic foods and found that most are “no more nutritious than conventionally grown foods.”
Stanford’s Dena Bravata said: “There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods, if you’re an adult and making a decision based solely on your health.”
“Organic food has a higher incidence of product recalls.On average one per cent of food products are recalled – but seven per cent of organic products,” the study said.
“Finally, organic food puts a strain on the environment because it requires more land to grow it… Yields are 25 per cent lower than conventional crops. This puts a greater strain on the environment as more farm land is required.”