Latest Research in Organic foods

Research no -1

Multi-residue Pesticides in Conventional and Organic Orange

A monitoring project for pesticide residues in orange samples in Al-Tamer vegetables market, Riyadh was conducted. A total of 144 samples of organic and non-organic orange were collected according to the Codex Alimentarius recommendations. Samples were extracted with acetonitrile and subjected for clean-up using Florisil column. Clean extracts were analyzed using GC-MS against 86 pesticides of concern. Method performance parameters are reported. Organic orange samples of mutually countries contained non-detectable amounts of the tested pesticides. For the non- organic create samples it contained varying amounts of pesticides depending on the season, country and month. Mostly, insecticides were dtected mostly in the samples then fungicides. Violating pesticides were also the anti-insect ones. Methomyl was the violating compound in South African orange and ethion in Egyptian one. Fungicides were below the corresponding MRL. Total amount of residues were the maximum in December 2010 (5.16 mg/kg) followed by November 2010 (4.27 mg/kg) of which ethion was the major constituent, this may be due to insect control practices. The highest level of residues appeared in the November 2011 with 1.68 mg/kg residues of Methomyl followed by august 2011 with 1.3m mg/kg consist of Methomyl and Chlorpyrifos-methyl.

Research no -2

Take Home Messages on Sustainable Food: Surveying Parent Perceptions of the Effects of a Primary School Programme

Aims: Parents are important stakeholders in school-based health promotion programmes. This study aimed to understand the perceptions of parents of a primary school-based healthy and sustainable food programme. It specifically sought to examine the perceived effects of the programme on the home environment and on parental engagement with schools. Study Design: A cross-sectional parent survey and a before-and-after school activity survey. Place and Duration of Study: Primary schools in England taking part in the Food for Life Partnership programme, between January 2008 and January 2011. Methodology: In 35 schools a pre-programme enrolment survey on parental involvement was completed and repeated at 18-24 months. In the same schools 740 parents responded to a cross-sectional survey on perceptions and effects of sustainable food education. Results: Parental involvement increased across a number of areas of food-related school activities. Parental respondents were active in school harvest celebrations (42%), cooking events (37%) and homemade food events (33%). Parents reported raised concentration of their child in food origins, fair trade foods, organic foods, animal welfare, food packaging and food miles. 40% reported their children talked more about new fruit and vegetables in family planning. 43% reported changes in buying patterns and 45% reported they were eating more vegetables. Reported changes in home food consumption included: more seasonal food (33%), more locally sourced food (26%), more fair trade food (25%), more free range eggs (25%), and more organic food (11%). Under 5% of parents raised reservations connected to the affordability of sustainable foods and the relevance of the programme to educational goals. Conclusion: Parents perceived programme-related effects on their family including discussion and purchases of healthier sustainably sourced foods. Health promotion programmes can enhance their impact and sustainability through reinforcing the processes by which parents become engaged and can adopt programme messages in the home environment.

Research no -3

Customers Purchasing Organic Food - Do They Live Healthier? Results of the German National Nutrition Survey II

Aims: Using national food consumption data this paper addresses issues whether buyers of organic food make healthier food choices and pursue a healthy lifestyle concerning smoking, physical exercise and body weight compared to non-buyers. Study Design: The German National Nutrition Survey II (NVS II) is a nationwide food consumption study providing additional information on social demographics, health, and lifestyle aspects as well as anthropo¬metric measurements. Using data of several assessment tools, a comparison was conducted between buyers and non-buyers of organic food. Place and Duration of the Study: From November 2005 to November 2006, data collection took place in about 500 randomly chosen sample points across Germany. Methodology: 13,074 participants aged 18-80 years were divided into groups of buyers (44.9%) and non-buyers (55.1%) of organic food. According to their purchase frequency, the organic food buyers were further differentiated into intensive, occasional or infrequent purchase groups. A diet history method was applied to assess food consumption, trained staff measured BMI while questionnaires were used for social demographic description and healthy lifestyle factors. Results: Buyers of organic food consumed 17% more fruit and 23% more vegetables as well as less meat/sausages (25%) and soft drinks (58%) than non-buyers did (P< .001, resp.). These results are more pronounced for women and for intensive buyers. Additionally, buyers of organic food exhibit healthier lifestyle characteristics in respect to smoking behaviour, physical activity, and body weight compared to non-buyers. Conclusion: German buyers of organic food demonstrate health behaviours complying better with the recommendations for a healthy lifestyle compared with non-buyers. Independent of the discussion whether organically created food exerts additional health effects, buyers of organic food make better food choices than non-buyers, thereby benefiting for their overall health.