HOME

November 2004 No. 1

Contents

Introducing the QLIF research project

Advancing research collaboration in organic food and farming

Mediating QLIF research

Organic Eprints – an open archive

EcoWiki – a tool for co-operative work


International organic congress

About the congress

If you want to participate

Evidence on higher vitamin levels in organic food will be presented


Research articles

Underlying Principles in Organic and “Low-Input Food” Processing

New tendencies on the organic food market


QLIF Notes

Identifying challenges and possible solutions for organic processing

The result of Open Call for experiments on dairy management

QLIF-training workshop February, 2005

More vitamins in organic food?

New evidence emphasizes that higher vitamin levels in organic food will be among the research presented and debated at the international congress at Newcastle University taking place from 6 to 9 January, 2005.

A new study from Denmark, which will be presented at the congress, shows that feeding practices used in Danish organic dairy farming result in significantly higher levels of vitamin E and other antioxidants in organic milk. Jacob Holm Nielsen, a scientist from the Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming (DARCOF), has carried out the study and will present the results at the congress.

In another study Kirsten Brandt, Director of Newcastle University’s food centre, will present a review of data linking an increased level of nutritionally desirable secondary metabolites (antioxidants, vitamins, flavanoids, polyphenols) found in organic vegetables to increased pest and disease resistance.

These results are particularly interesting, since they suggest that methods used in organic and low input farming to increase the resistance of plants (and therefore minimise the use of pesticides) will at the same time improve the levels of nutritionally desirable compounds.

In the area of food safety congress delegates will hear about research linking organic livestock feeding methods with safer meat products. Recent studies show that organic feeding regimes may reduce the risk of E. coli O157 shedding in cattle.