Assessing organic food quality: Is it better for you?

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Any attempt to answer the question ‘is organic food better for you?’ requires an assessment of the safety, nutritional content and biological value aspects of food quality. Previous reviews have been unable to reach definitive conclusions after failing to ensure only valid comparisons are considered. When methodologically flawed studies are screened out and a complete assessment of nutritional quality is made, collectively, the available evidence supports the hypothesis that organically produced food is superior in terms of safety, nutritional content and nutritional value to that produced non-organically. More research is needed provide to more data further investigating the trends seen in the existing evidence

Variability in wheat: factors affecting its nutritional value

Wheat is a common raw material used to provide energy in broiler diets. Its apparent metabolisable energy and its influence on broiler performance varies between wheat samples. Reasons for that variability can be classified as intrinsic (variety, chemical composition) and extrinsic factors (growing conditions, storage, etc.), both of which affect nutrient digestibility and availability. However, these factors are not always considered when formulating the diets for broiler chickens. Moreover, research through the years has questioned the relation between wheat AME and animal performance. This review aims to describe factors that influence the observed variability in wheat nutritive value for broiler chickens by considering origin (variety, growing conditions and post-harvest storage), chemical composition of the grain (carbohydrates and protein) and the broiler chicken

The Federal Child Nutrition Commodity Program: A Report on Nutritional Quality

Examines the types of food California schools order through the USDA Child Nutrition Commodity Program and how they affect the nutritional value of school meals. Includes policy recommendations for ensuring that meals meet nutritional guidelines

Nutritional quality and calorific value of Amazonian forest litter

A study on the nutritional quality of litter from an Amazon terra firme forest was carried out to supplement quantitative data on litter production previously published by KLINGE and RODRIGUES (1968). Analyses for the following constituents were carried out: cell-wall and non cell-wall fractions, crude protein, total mineral ash, polyphenols, and caloric values. Reasons are given for choosing these variables. Mineral ash and protein values were very low, whilst cell-wall fractions, which are a measure of the amount of undigestible material, were high, as were caloric values. Polyphenols were also relatively high. These factors together indicate that the litter is a very low grade forage. Amazon leaf litter has high caloric values compared with published figures from other tropical forests. The following hypothesis was offered to explain these high values: as mineral nutrients are severely limiting in this ecosystem, not all the products of photosynthesis can be channeled into plant growth. Large proportions of these photosynthetic products are therefore probably accumulated in the leaves as reduced high energy compounds such as waxes, resins etc. Available data do in fact indicate that primary production is relatively low. The low quality forage which the leaf litter offers may be a contributing factor to the low animal biomass of the Amazon forests

Value of crops: Quantity, quality and cost price

Possibilities of using algae as a nutritional supplement are examined. The nutritional value and protein content of spirulines of blue algae are discussed. A cost analysis of growing them artificially is presented

Nutritional Value of Amaranth

Pseudocereals, belonging to the genus Amaranthus, have been cultivated for their grains for 8,000 years or more. The grain was a staple food of the Aztecs and was also considered an integral part of Aztec religious ceremonies. The book primarily focuses on the nutrient properties of amaranth and expresses its viewpoint in considering this crop as a remedy for many nutrient deficiencies and curbing food insecurity. The functional properties of the grain are immense and it is clear that the crop would be a valuable agricultural product around the world