Comparison of health status between organic and conventional products.

This paper reports the results of two trials carried out to estimate the hygienic-sanitary status of samples obtained from organic farming in comparison with products obtained from conventional agriculture. In three years of activity were carried out analyses on samples of common or durum wheat and on processing products like. flour, bran, macaroni and bread obtained from biological and conventional method. Also samples of vegetables and fruits were analyzed. The laboratory analyses have been focalized on qualitative and quantitative evaluation of fungal contamination and surveying of pesticide residues level. The great size of collected data has not highlighted substantial differences between the two analyzed typologies. About pesticide residues levels, generally they proved to be contained under the Italian legal limit, so both these products can be considered healthy under a hygienic-sanitary profile. The trials should be extended also to other cultivations like herbs, fruit-trees and vegetables to improve our knowledge's about qualitative and hygienic differences beyond the two methods of production and defense.