Are Organic foods more nutritious?

Studies on organic foods' long-term health effects have been mixed

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Autumn is in full swing in the US, which means supermarket produce sections are ripe with the finest late-season fruit and vegetables - like apples, leafy greens and winter squash - and often pricier organic versions of each.

If buying organic is not in your budget, experts say not to worry, as you are likely to get the same nutritional benefits from conventional foods. More important, they add, is that you follow a healthful diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

WHY ARE ORGANIC FOODS MORE EXPENSIVE?

The US Department of Agriculture sets stringent guidelines for organic food producers. Certified organic produce, for instance, must be grown without the use of most synthetic pesticides and herbicides. And animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs must come from animals given year-round access to the outdoors and raised without growth hormones or antibiotics. Organic products cannot use genetic engineering either.

One reason organic foods can be more expensive than their conventional counterparts is that producing them without synthetic pesticides or herbicides requires more labour, says dietitian Sean Svette, a director of the nutrition and dietetics programme at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

An organic farmer who does not use a powerful weed-killing herbicide, for instance, may need to hire more workers to remove weeds.

DO HIGHER COSTS MEAN MORE NUTRIENTS?