Environmental impact on health benefits of organic food production

有机食品生产的环境影响对健康的益处

• 批准号: NE/E008399/1
• 负责人: Ian Givens
• 金额: $ 4.54万
• 依托单位: University of Reading
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2007 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FE008399%2F1
• 关键词: Environmental; impact; health; benefits; organic

Against a background of increasing chronic disease world wide it is now widely acknowledged that diet has a significant impact on human health. For example reducing intake of saturated fats and increasing intake of long chain n-3 fatty acids can reduce chronic disease incidence and certain compounds such as flavonoids and other polyphenols are bioactive and have antioxidant and other beneficial properties. In the last two decades there has been an increase in consumer demand for food produced using organic farming techniques. This has been driven by concerns over increased use of herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers and growth additives which have lead to largely unsubstantiated perceptions that organically produced food is somehow healthier (as well as better for the environment) than food produced using conventional farming methodologies. In reality there is evidence that in some cases organically produced food may actually be less healthy than that produced using conventional farming techniques. For example, hens kept outdoors as in organic systems can produce eggs with dioxin levels that exceed the EU limit of 3 pg TEQ /g fat and organic crops suffer more damamge from insects and other pests, creating openings through which fungi can enter seeds and fruit leading to increased risks of mycotoxin contamination. A confounding factor to discussions of the health merits of organically produced food versus that produced by conventional methods is environmental effects. Soil properties, temperature and moisture regimes will all impact on food composition. For example soil chemistry will play a role in Se content of foods, weather conditions will impact on amounts of pesticides used, type of forage crops grown will impact on composition of milk and meat. On top of these issues of science are issues of perception. Despite the lack of evidence in peer reviewed journals there is a broad belief, as stated above, that organically produced foods are healthier and / or better. For example a recent review into the provision of school meals has recommended increased use of organic foods despite no real evidence of their benefits. We propose to organise a multidisciplinary workshop to address these issues. Review papers addressing aspects of the impacts of the environment on the health benefits of organic versus conventional food production will be commissioned from international experts drawn from the fields of food science, agriculture, soil science, pyschology and medicine. Stake holder policy organisations such as government departments, public charities and research funders together with members of the media will be invited. The workshop will comprise discussion of the review papers in open forum between a steering group and the invitees. Other interested parties will be free to attend and contribute to the discussions. The main output of the workshop will be a publication for distribution to workshop attendees and other relevant policy organisations and the media containing the review papers together with summaries of the discussions following the papers and a clear statement of current state of knowledge, gaps in that knowledge and research priorities for the future. An additional, and important output will be that we will have begun to foster a multidisciplinary community of researchers concerned with the impact of environment on human health via food production and consumption.

在世界范围内慢性病不断增加的背景下，现在人们普遍承认饮食对人类健康有重大影响。例如，减少饱和脂肪的摄入量和增加长链n-3脂肪酸的摄入量可以降低慢性病的发病率，并且某些化合物（例如黄酮和其他多酚）具有生物活性，具有抗氧化剂和其他有益特性。在过去的二十年里，消费者对使用有机农业技术生产的食品的需求有所增加。这是由于人们对除草剂、杀虫剂、化肥和生长添加剂使用量增加的担忧，这导致人们普遍认为有机生产的食品比使用传统耕作方法生产的食品更健康（对环境也更好），这种看法在很大程度上未经证实。事实上，有证据表明，在某些情况下，有机生产的食品实际上可能不如使用传统农业技术生产的食品健康。例如，在有机系统中，饲养在户外的母鸡所产的鸡蛋的二恶英含量可能超过欧盟规定的3 pg TEQ /g脂肪的限值，有机作物遭受昆虫和其他害虫的更多损害，从而产生真菌可以进入种子和水果的开口，导致真菌毒素污染的风险增加。在讨论有机食品与传统方法生产的食品的健康优点时，一个混淆因素是环境影响。土壤性质、温度和湿度状况都会影响食物组成。例如，土壤化学将在食物的硒含量中发挥作用，天气条件将影响农药的使用量，种植的饲料作物类型将影响牛奶和肉类的成分。在这些科学问题之上的是感知问题。尽管缺乏同行评审期刊中的证据，但如上所述，人们普遍认为有机食品更健康和/或更好。例如，最近对学校膳食供应的审查建议增加使用有机食品，尽管没有真实的证据证明它们的好处。我们建议组织一个多学科研讨会来解决这些问题。将委托来自食品科学、农业、土壤科学、心理学和医学领域的国际专家编写审查文件，讨论环境对有机食品生产与传统食品生产的健康惠益的影响。持份者保持器政策机构，如政府部门、公共慈善机构及研究资助机构，以及传媒均会获邀出席。研讨会将包括指导小组和受邀者在公开论坛上讨论审查文件。其他感兴趣的各方将可自由参加讨论并提出意见。讲习班的主要产出将是一份出版物，分发给讲习班与会者和其他相关政策组织以及媒体，其中载有审查文件以及文件之后的讨论摘要，并明确说明目前的知识状况、知识差距和未来的研究优先事项。另外一个重要的产出是，我们将开始培养一个多学科的研究人员群体，他们关注环境通过粮食生产和消费对人类健康的影响。

项目成果

Health Benefits of Organic Food: Effects of the Environment

有机食品的健康益处：环境的影响

• 发表时间: 2008
• 作者: Givens, D. I.;Baxter, S.;Minihane, A. M.;Shaw, E.
• 通讯作者: Shaw, E.