Magkos Faidon, Arvaniti Fotini, Zampelas Antonis
Laboratory of Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, 70 El. Venizelou Ave, Kallithea, Athens, 176 71, Greece.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2006;46(1):23-56. doi: 10.1080/10408690490911846.
Consumer concern over the quality and safety of conventional food has intensified in recent years, and primarily drives the increasing demand for organically grown food, which is perceived as healthier and safer. Relevant scientific evidence, however, is scarce, while anecdotal reports abound. Although there is an urgent need for information related to health benefits and/or hazards of food products of both origins, generalized conclusions remain tentative in the absence of adequate comparative data. Organic fruits and vegetables can be expected to contain fewer agrochemical residues than conventionally grown alternatives; yet, the significance of this difference is questionable, inasmuch as actual levels of contamination in both types of food are generally well below acceptable limits. Also, some leafy, root, and tuber organic vegetables appear to have lower nitrate content compared with conventional ones, but whether or not dietary nitrate indeed constitutes a threat to human health is a matter of debate. On the other hand, no differences can be identified for environmental contaminants (e.g. cadmium and other heavy metals), which are likely to be present in food from both origins. With respect to other food hazards, such as endogenous plant toxins, biological pesticides and pathogenic microorganisms, available evidence is extremely limited preventing generalized statements. Also, results for mycotoxin contamination in cereal crops are variable and inconclusive; hence, no clear picture emerges. It is difficult, therefore, to weigh the risks, but what should be made clear is that 'organic' does not automatically equal 'safe.' Additional studies in this area of research are warranted. At our present state of knowledge, other factors rather than safety aspects seem to speak in favor of organic food.
近年来，消费者对传统食品质量和安全的担忧日益加剧，这主要推动了对有机种植食品需求的增长，因为有机食品被认为更健康、更安全。然而，相关的科学证据却很稀少，而轶事报道却比比皆是。尽管迫切需要有关这两种来源食品的健康益处和/或危害的信息，但在缺乏足够比较数据的情况下，普遍结论仍然是初步的。有机水果和蔬菜的农用化学品残留量预计会比传统种植的同类产品少；然而，这种差异的重要性值得怀疑，因为这两类食品的实际污染水平通常都远低于可接受的限度。此外，一些叶菜类、根菜类和块茎类有机蔬菜的硝酸盐含量似乎比传统蔬菜低，但膳食硝酸盐是否真的对人类健康构成威胁仍是一个有争议的问题。另一方面，对于环境污染物（如镉和其他重金属），无法确定两者之间存在差异，这两类来源的食品中都可能含有这些污染物。至于其他食品危害，如内源性植物毒素、生物农药和致病微生物，现有证据极为有限，无法得出一般性结论。此外，谷类作物中霉菌毒素污染的结果各不相同且尚无定论；因此，情况并不明朗。因此，很难权衡风险，但需要明确的是，“有机”并不自动等同于“安全”。这一研究领域需要进行更多的研究。就我们目前的知识水平而言，支持有机食品的似乎是其他因素而非安全方面。
