Articolo speciale
Alimentazione biologica: scelta vantaggiosa o moda?
Organic food: good choice or fad?
Giacomo Toffol
Pediatra di libera scelta, Pederobba (Treviso); Pediatri per un Mondo Possibile, Associazione Culturale Pediatri
Febbraio 2016 - pagg. 91 -97
Abstract
In Italy organic food consumption is particularly increasing amongst the younger families
that feel it safer and healthier when compared to the conventional food. To assess
whether paediatricians should encourage this trend, a literature review was performed
to find out to which extent the organic food may be beneficial to the child’s health. The
most recent systematic reviews, selected by Medline and Cochrane Library, which compare
the concentration of nutrients and harmful substances (mainly pesticides) in the organic
and conventional food, were identified and analysed. The main risks that derive
from exposure to pesticides through the diet were also reviewed. Although there is no
evidence that organic food is healthier than the conventional one, conventional food
contains higher pesticide concentrations than organic food. Since diet is the main exposure
route to pesticides in most children, organic food may represent some advantages
for the child’s health and should be supported by paediatricians.
Classificazione MeSH
Contenuto riservato
Per leggere l'articolo completo è necessario effettuare il login.
Non sei ancora registrato? Registrati
Bibliografia
1. Dangour AD, Dodhia SK, Hayter A, Allen
E, Lock K, Uauy R. Nutritional quality of organic
foods: a systematic review. Am J Clin
Nutr 2009;90(3):680-5.
2. Dangour AD, Lock K, Hayter A, Aikenhead
A, Allen E, Uauy R. Nutrition-related health effects
of organic foods: a systematic review.
Am J Clin Nutr 2010;92(1):203-10.
3. Rist L, Mueller A, Barthel C, et al. Influence
of organic diet on the amount of conjugated
linoleic acids in breast milk of lactating
women in the Netherlands. Br J Nutr 2007;
97:735-43.
4. Hunter D, Foster M, McArthur JO, Ojha R,
Petocz P, Samman S. Evaluation of the micronutrient
composition of plant foods produced
by organic and conventional agricultural
methods. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2011;51
(6):571-82.
5. Gold MV. Organically Produced Foods:
Nutritive Content. Agricultural Research Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2008
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/srb000
3.shtmlSpecial 13/09/2008.
6. Barański M, Srednicka-Tober D, Volakakis
N, et al. Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium
concentrations and lower incidence of
pesticide residues in organically grown crops:
a systematic literature review and meta-analyses.
Br J Nutr 2014;112(05):794-811.
7. Butler G, Nielsen JH, Larsen MK, et al.
The effects of dairy management and processing
on quality characteristics of milk and
dairy products. NJAS 2011;58(3):97-102.
8. Palupi E, Jayanegara A, Ploeger A, Kahl J.
Comparison of nutritional quality between
conventional and organic dairy products: a
meta analysis. J Sci Food Agric 2010;92(14):
2774-81.
9. Benbrook CM, Butler G, Latif MA, Leifert
C, Davis DR. Organic production enhances
milk nutritional quality by shifting fatty acid
composition: a United States-wide, 18-month
study. PloS ONE 2013;8(12):e82429.
10. Zahm SH, Ward MH. Pesticides and
childhood cancer. Environ Health Perspect
1998;106(Suppl 3):893-908.
11. Infante-Rivard C, Weichenthal S. Pesticides
and childhood cancer: an update of
Zahm and Ward’s 1998 review. J Toxicol Environ
Health B Crit Rev 2007;10(1-2):81-99.
12. Grosse Y, Loomis D, Lauby-Secretan B,
et al. Carcinogenicity of some drugs and herbal
products. Lancet Oncol 2013;14(9):807-8.
13. Eskenazi B, Marks AR, Bradman A, et al.
Organophosphate pesticide exposure and
neurodevelopment in young Mexican-American
children. Environ Health Perspect 2007;
115(5):792-8.
14. Rauh VA, Garfinkel R, Perera FP, et al.
Impact of prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure on
neurodevelopment in the first 3 years of life
among inner-city children. Pediatrics 2006;
118(6):e1845-e1859.
15. Rauh V, Arunajadai S, Horton M, et al. Seven-
year neurodevelopmental scores and prenatal
exposure to chlorpyrifos, a common
agricultural pesticide. Environ Health Perspect
2011;119(8):1196-201.
16. Nurminen T, Rantala K, Kurppa K, Holmberg
PC. Agricultural work during pregnancy
and selected structural malformations in Finland.
Epidemiology 1995;6(1):23-30.
17. Ren A, Qiu X, Jin L, et al. Association of selected
persistent organic pollutants in the placenta
with the risk of neural tube defects.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011;108(31):12770-5.
18. Yang W, Carmichael SL, Roberts EM, et
al. Residential agricultural pesticide exposures
and risk of neural tube defects and orofacial
clefts among offspring in the San Joaquin
Valley of California. Am J Epidemiol 2014;
179(6):740-8.
19. Longnecker MP, Klebanoff MA, Zhou H,
Brock JW. Association between maternal serum
concentration of the DDT metabolite
DDE and preterm and small-forgestationalage
babies at birth. Lancet 2001;358(9276):
110-4.
20. Villanueva CM, Durand G, Coutté MB,
Chevrier C, Cordier S. Atrazine in municipal
drinking water and risk of low birth weight,
preterm delivery, and small-forgestationalage
status. Occup Environ Med 2005;62(6):
400-5.
21. Fernandez MF, Olmos B, Granada A, et
al. Human exposure to endocrine-disrupting
chemicals and prenatal risk factors for cryptorchidism
and hypospadias: a nested casecontrol
study. Environ Health Perspect 2007;
115(Suppl 1):8-14.
22. Damgaard IN, Skakkebaek NE, Toppari
J, et al; Nordic Cryptorchidism Study Group.
Persistent pesticides in human breast milk
and cryptorchidism. Environ Health Perspect
2006;114(7):1133-8.
23. Roberts JR, Karr CJ, Paulson JA, et al. Pesticide
exposure in children. Pediatrics 2012;
130(6):e1765-e1788.
24. Lu C, Toepel K, Irish R, Fenske RA, Barr
DB, Bravo R. Organic diets significantly
lower children’s dietary exposure to organophosphorus
pesticides. Environ Health
Perspect 2006;114(2):260-3.
25. Lu C, Barr DB, Pearson MA, Waller LA.
Dietary intake and its contribution to longitudinal
organophosphorus pesticide exposure
in urban/suburban children. Environ Health
Perspect 2008;116(4):537-42.
26. Curl CL, Fenske RA, Elgethun K. Organophosphorus
pesticide exposure of urban
and suburban preschool children with organic
and conventional diets. Environ Health
Perspect 2003;111(3):377-82.
27. Andersen JH, Poulsen ME. Results from
the monitoring of pesticide residues in fruit
and vegetables on the Danish market, 1998-
99. Food Addit Contam 2001;18:906-31.
28. Baker BP, Benbrook CM, Groth E 3rd,
Lutz Benbrook K. Pesticide residues in conventional, integrated pest management
(IPM)-grown and organic foods: insights
from three US data sets. Food Addit Contam
2002;19:427-46.
29. Collins M, Nassif W. Pesticide residues in
organically and conventionally grown fruit
and vegetables in New South Wales, 1990-91.
Food Australia 1993;45:429-31.
30. Lesueur C, Gartner M, Knittl P, et al. Pesticide
residues in fruit and vegetable samples:
analytical results of 2 year’s pesticide investigations.
Ernahrung/Nutrition 2007;31:
247-59.
31. Poulsen ME, Andersen JH. Results from
the monitoring of pesticide residues in fruit
and vegetables on the Danish market, 2000-
01. Food Addit Contam 2003;20:742-57.
32. Tasiopoulou S, Chiodini AM, Vellere F,
Visentin S. Results of the monitoring program
of pesticide residues in organic food of
plant origin in Lombardy (Italy). J Environ
Sci Health B 2007;42:835-41.
33. Amvrazi EG, Albanis TA. Pesticide residue
assessment in different types of olive oil
and preliminary exposure assessment of
Greek consumers to the pesticide residues
detected. Food Chem 2009;113(1):253-61.
34. Hoogenboom LA, Bokhorst JG, Northolt
MD, et al. Contaminants and microorganisms
in Dutch organic food products: a comparison
with conventional products. Food Addit
Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo
Risk Assess 2008;25:1195-207.
35. Porretta S. Qualitative comparison between
commercial “traditional” and “organic” tomato
products using multivariate statistical analysis.
Acta Hortic 1994;376:259-70.
36. Smith-Spangler C, Brandeau ML, Hunter
GE, et al. Are organic foods safer or healthier
than conventional alternatives? A systematic
review. Ann Intern Med 2012;157(5):348-66.
37. Ministero della Sanità. Decreto 23 Dicembre
1992 (implementazione della Direttiva
EU n. 90/642/CEE). Gazzetta Ufficiale 1992;
305:46-61.
38. Lorenzin M. Pesticide residues in Italian
Ready-Meals and dietary intake estimation. J
Environ Sci Health 2007;42(7):823-33.
39. Crépet A, Héraud F, Béchaux C, et al.
The PERICLES research program: An integrated
approach to characterize the combined
effects of mixtures of pesticide residues
to which the French population is exposed.
Toxicology 2013;313(2):83-93.
Corrispondenza: giacomo@giacomotoffol.191.it