Biological food – Wikipedia

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And biological food is a food produced according to the principles of organic farming.

Biological Luzerne seeds germinating in a cleaning germor.

Trade labeling and identifications [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

French logotype AB (Biological Agriculture Label) at the service of farmers and agrifood processors marketing agricultural or agrifood products produced and/or transformed in compliance with the specifications of standardized organic farming.

In France, the AB logotype (organic agriculture label) is at the service of farmers and agrifood processors marketing agricultural or agrifood products respecting the specifications of standardized organic farming, and transformed according to also standardized methods.

There is a tolerance of 5% for ingredients such as sea salt which, without being biological foods in the strict sense , are natural products without added synthetic chemical element [ first ] .

In terms of nutritional value, a 2003 report from the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) finds “Few significant, and reproducible differences, between the chemical composition of raw materials from organic farming and those from conventional farming” and observe that “The results of the studies are sometimes contradictory. The many variation factors involved in the chemical composition and the nutritional value of food (variety/breed, season, climate, stage of maturity or development, storage, breeding driving, etc.) are often greater than the impact of factors strictly linked to the mode of agriculture (nature of fertilization, health treatments …) ” [ 2 ] . This nutritional equivalence (in vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, proteins …) is confirmed by a 2012 study [ 3 ] .

Fruit stall from organic farming.

A meta-analysis of 343 scientific publications carried out in 2014 by eighteen European researchers, however, showed the existence of substantial nutrients in favor of biological foods [ 4 ] . These differences do not relate to the content of nutrients but to the presence of toxic substances such as cadmium and pesticides, and on the antioxidant content [ 5 ] . Their health effects remain to be determined. According to a study by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2015, it is “unlikely” that food exposure to pesticide residues has “long -term effects on consumer health” [ 6 ] .

In addition, a meta-analysis from Newcastle Upon Tyne University concludes that organic milk and meat contain more omega-3 fatty acids, mineral salts and essential antioxidants than their conventional counterparts [ 7 ] .

In , a French study, carried out by the research team in nutritional epidemiology based on the cohort Nutrine-Santé study, suggests a possible 25% reduction in cancer risk associated with the regular consumption of biological foods [ 8 ] . If this study does not assert that an organic regime protects from cancer, it indicates an association between the two phenomena. This association is particularly marked for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (-86% if we eat organic), while women have a lower risk of developing breast cancer after menopause (-33%). Overall, people who eat organic have a more balanced weight and better health. This study was criticized by Gérard Pascal, a toxicologist researcher at the National Institute of Agronomic Research [ 9 ] . He says that a organic consumer will be more virtuous a priori, in all of his behavior, than another. There are too many confusion factors. If an organic consumer does not have cancer, it is difficult to know if it is because she eats organic, or, for example, because she does not smoke. It is necessary to make many adjustments, which would cause its relevance to the study [ ten ] , [ 11 ] .

The organoleptic qualities of a biological food are difficult to assess. INRA concludes that there is no significant difference in these qualities between organic and conventional farming [ twelfth ] .

The epidemic of gastroenteritis and hemolytic and uremic syndrome of 2011 in Europe was caused by sprouted seeds produced in a organic farm in Germany but the epidemic link remains unexplained for the time being.

The contaminated sesame affair in 2020-2021 shows that organic is not isolated from classic supply flows, quite the contrary. In September 2020, the Belgian authorities are part of sesame seeds imported important quantity of ethylene oxide, a product dangerous for health, prohibited in Europe for more than ten years. The survey will show that other foodstuffs are affected, from several countries, and that it is intentional pollution: ethylene oxide is an inexpensive way to remove fungi and bacteria. Among the foods concerned, more than a third have the organic farming label, while this sector is one of the most controlled there is. If traceability has made it possible to quickly withdraw from the market the affected products [ 13 ] , it is worrying to note that these products, and even more organic products, could only reach this market [ 14 ] .

Various explanations are advanced. The organic market, a priori more profitable, attracts fraud. The components of the products are controlled, of course, but we only find what we are looking for, and there are such a quantity of pollutants that it is impossible to test them all; And, precisely, ethylene oxide was not one of the products tested. The Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and the Repression of Fraud evaluates the presence only from 568 Molecules out of the 907 prohibited and 1498 active listed, and the fraudsters know them, and this difficulty is common to conventional foods and organic foods. Certification organizations also have great difficulties in testing the maximum of products and processes, and these tests have repercussions on consumer prices. Even if the best quality of organic food is no doubt and is proven, it cannot abstract from the problems encountered by modern food markets [ 14 ] .

This case recalls, in certain aspects, the scandal of eggs contaminated with fipronil in 2017, which had also affected organic products [ 14 ] .

Organic farming and GMOs in the European Union [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

If a product, conventional or organic, contains more than 0.9% GMO, it must be labeled. Below this value, no indication to the consumer is required. Each Member State, however, remains free to strengthen its legislation on the labeling of “organic” products on its territory.

The organic sprouted seeds are obtained by not using pesticides and excluding GMOs. The seeds already sprouted are mainly produced in hydroponics by specialized companies sold in supermarkets.

Price and quality of organic foods in France [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Organic wine stand in a living room.

The UFC-Que Choisir association has noted 120,000 prices in 1,795 stores and shown that the basket of biological items sold under a distributor brand (MDD) cost 57% more than the traditional MDD equivalent; According to Cécile Lepers de Synabio “Large distribution does not resist the temptation to raise its margins” .

In 2010, the 20,000 French organic farms directly supply specialized networks (clear life, biocoop, naturalia, croc’nature, etc. ). Hypermarkets are almost exclusively abroad to a “Bio business very little green [ 15 ] » : from 8 to 10% of prizes of controlled organic products contain phytosanitary residues prohibited in their production, in particular in the arrivals of Italy and Spain [ 15 ] .

In 2015, the sale of organic products increased by 14.7% to 5.75 billion euros in France [ 16 ] .

At the end of 2019, the average consumption of organic products per year and per capita amounted to 178 euros. The most consumed products are fresh products, meats and fruits and vegetables [ 17 ] .

  1. ↑ Biological agriculture
  2. ↑ Nutritional and health assessment of foods from organic farming – Afssa, July 2003, p. 180 [PDF]
  3. ↑ (in) Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives? A Systematic Review – American College of Physicians, Annals of Internal Medicine , vol. 157, n O September 5, 4, 2012 [PDF] (see archive)
  4. ↑ (in) ‘ Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses » , on blog.journals.cambridge.org , (consulted the )
  5. ↑ (in) Marcin Barański et Col, ‘ Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses » , British Journal of Nutrition , vol. 112, n O 5, , p. 794–811 (DOI  10.1017/S0007114514001366 )
  6. ↑ (in) European Food Safety Authority, ‘ The 2013 European Union report on pesticide residues in food1 » , Efsa journal , vol. 13, n O 3, , p. 4038 ( read online )
  7. ↑ (in) ‘ New study finds clear differences between organic and non-organic milk and meat » (consulted the )
  8. ↑ ‘ Organic food significantly reduces the risk of cancer » , The world , .
  9. ↑ ‘ No, it is not established that organic food protects from cancer | France Academy of Agriculture » , on www.academie-agriculture.fr (consulted the )
  10. ↑ Élisabeth Bouvet, ” Best to health, organic? », 60 million consumers. Earlier n ° 209 , ( read online )
  11. ↑ ‘ Organic feed – less risk of cancer » , on www.quechoisir.org (consulted the )
  12. ↑ Hervé Guyomard (under the direction of), ‘ Towards high -performance agriculture. Analysis of organic farming performance » [PDF] , France Strategy,
  13. ↑ The list of products concerned for France is at Sesame, psyllium, spices and other recalled products including these ingredients | Economy.gouv.fr
  14. ↑ A B and C Nina scietr, « Contaminated sesame – Why is organic affected? », 60 million consumers. Earlier n ° 209 eating organic , ( read online )
  15. ↑ a et b Organic makes its qualities pay too much – Patrick Chabert and Philippe Baqué, Capital , May 4, 2011
  16. ↑ Laurence Girard, ‘ Organic products sales increase sharply in France » , on The world ,
  17. ↑ ‘ Organic continues its progression, France arises in European locomotive » , on www.linfodurable.fr (consulted the ) .

Related articles [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Bibliography [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

  • Kilien Stengel, Organic food – Eat and drink organic , Paris, Eyrolles editions, 2009 (ISBN  2-2125-4251-8 )
  • Gil Rivière-Wekstein, Organic false promises and real marketing , Publisher, 2011 (ISBN  978-2-3506-1019-1-1 ) [ Online presentation ]
  • Philippe Baqué (you.), Organic between business and company project , Marseille, Agone, 2012 (ISBN  978-2-7489-0170-2 )