People 'not sold on organic food'

Less than a third of Irish people believe organic food is healthier than non-organic produce and only 15 per cent found it to be "full of flavour and taste" as advocates claim.

These were the findings of a survey carried out jointly by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and Safefood, the Food Safety Promotion Board.

The research found that while 80 per cent of people surveyed understood the benefits of organic food to be free from pesticides and chemicals, only 32 per cent felt organic produce represented a healthier option.

The survey also showed that more than half of Irish consumers have never purchased organic food.

The number one reason cited for this was cost, with 54 per cent believing organic produce to be too expensive.

The results of the survey which was carried out among industry personnel, consumers and young people was presented to delegates at the opening of an organic food forum in Dublin today.

FSAI public health nutritionist Dr Mary Flynn said: "There is a widespread belief among advocates of organic food that ecological, low input production systems result in foods of higher nutritional quality."

"However, although the nutrition and health aspects of organic food have been explored in many studies, there is little evidence that organic foods confer health benefits to humans," she said.

In her address to delegates, Dr Flynn said: "The production costs of organic food are high and translate into high prices for the consumer, who seems happy to pay."

She believed this may be due to a desire to buy locally, reduce food miles and protect the environment.

"However, if the consumer is buying organic food because of a perception of higher nutritional quality and more health benefits, well designed and strictly controlled studies are required to support this perception," she added.

Plant scientist Dr Con O'Rourke said: "While it is often claimed that organic food is more nutritious and tastes better, to date, rigorous scientific evaluation has failed to show significant and consistent differences."

"Organic claims are usually based on single observations, without controls for comparison. However, there is some evidence coming through, although preliminary, from a major EU-funded programme in the UK which indicates that organic crops may have a higher anti-oxidant content."

Organic food consultant Siobhan Morris said the organic market is worth €66 million - up from €38 million in 2003 - and is estimated to grow to approximately €400 million over the next five years.

She cited a recent EU study which found organic food contained more antioxidants than conventional food.