So is organic food better for us?

This is a controversial subject and the answer you get depends on who you talk to or what you read. But according to the results of a four-year study released at the end of last year, it is healthier.

The project, carried out by British scientists at Newcastle University as part of a European Union initiative, found that organic fruit and vegetables may contain up to 40% more antioxidants than the non-organic types. The results were even better when the researchers tested milk organic varieties had up to 60% more antioxidants and healthy fatty acids than conventionally produced ones.

Foods rich in antioxidants are believed to be healthier for us because they may help reduce the risk of conditions like cancer and heart disease. The tests also showed that organic produce had higher levels of important minerals such as zinc, iron and copper.

The co-ordinator of the study, Professor Carlo Leifert, said the differences between organic and non-organic foods were so great that eating four servings of organic produce might contain as many nutrients as five-plus servings of non-organic fruit and vegetables. Therefore people might be able to eat less produce, as long as it was organic.