Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Dominika Srednicka-Tober; Marcin Baranski; Chris Seal; Roy Sanderson; Charles Benbrook; Havard Steinshamn; Joanna Gromadzka-Ostrowska; Ewa Rembialkowska; Krystyna Skwarlo-Sonta; Mick D. Eyre; Giulio Cozzi; Mette Krogh Larsen; Teresa Jordon; Urs Niggli; Tomasz Sakowski; Philip C Calder; Graham C. Burdge; Smaragda Sotiraki; Alexandros Stefanakis; Halil Yolcu; Sokratis Stergiadis; Eleni Chatzidimitriou; Gillian Butler; Gavin Stewart; Carlo Leifert

doi:10.1017/S0007114515005073

Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Dominika Srednicka-Tober
, Marcin Baranski
, Chris Seal
, Roy Sanderson
, Charles Benbrook
, Havard Steinshamn
, Joanna Gromadzka-Ostrowska
, Ewa Rembialkowska
, Krystyna Skwarlo-Sonta
, Mick D. Eyre
, Giulio Cozzi
, Mette Krogh Larsen
, Teresa Jordon
, Urs Niggli
, Tomasz Sakowski
, Philip C Calder
, Graham C. Burdge
, Smaragda Sotiraki
, Alexandros Stefanakis
, Halil Yolcu

Sokratis Stergiadis, Eleni Chatzidimitriou, Gillian Butler, Gavin Stewart, Carlo Leifert^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Food Science - Differentiated & Biofunctional Foods

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review

168 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Demand for organic meat is partially driven by consumer perceptions that organic foods are more nutritious than non-organic foods. However, there have been no systematic reviews comparing specifically the nutrient content of organic and conventionally produced meat. In this study, we report results of a meta-analysis based on sixty-seven published studies comparing the composition of organic and non-organic meat products. For many nutritionally relevant compounds (e.g. minerals, antioxidants and most individual fatty acids (FA)), the evidence base was too weak for meaningful meta-analyses. However, significant differences in FA profiles were detected when data from all livestock species were pooled. Concentrations of SFA and MUFA were similar or slightly lower, respectively, in organic compared with conventional meat. Larger differences were detected for total PUFA and n-3 PUFA, which were an estimated 23 (95% CI 11, 35)% and 47 (95% CI 10, 84)% higher in organic meat, respectively. However, for these and many other composition parameters, for which meta-analyses found significant differences, heterogeneity was high, and this could be explained by differences between animal species/meat types. Evidence from controlled experimental studies indicates that the high grazing/forage-based diets prescribed under organic farming standards may be the main reason for differences in FA profiles. Further studies are required to enable meta-analyses for a wider range of parameters (e.g. antioxidant, vitamin and mineral concentrations) and to improve both precision and consistency of results for FA profiles for all species. Potential impacts of composition differences on human health are discussed.

Original language	English
Journal	British Journal of Nutrition
Volume	115
Issue	6
Pages (from-to)	994-1011
Number of pages	18
ISSN	0007-1145
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114515005073
Publication status	Published - 26 Jan 2016

Keywords

Organic foods
Animal products
Meat
Iron
Meat fat composition
n-3 PUFA
n-6 PUFA
POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS
CORONARY-HEART-DISEASE
ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID
NUTRITIONAL QUALITY
DAIRY-PRODUCTS
RED MEAT
PLANT FOODS
N-3 PUFA
HEALTH
CHAIN

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Srednicka-Tober, D., Baranski, M., Seal, C., Sanderson, R., Benbrook, C., Steinshamn, H., Gromadzka-Ostrowska, J., Rembialkowska, E., Skwarlo-Sonta, K., Eyre, M. D., Cozzi, G., Larsen, M. K., Jordon, T., Niggli, U., Sakowski, T., Calder, P. C., Burdge, G. C., Sotiraki, S., Stefanakis, A., ... Leifert, C. (2016). Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition, 115(6), 994-1011. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114515005073

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title = "Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis",

abstract = "Demand for organic meat is partially driven by consumer perceptions that organic foods are more nutritious than non-organic foods. However, there have been no systematic reviews comparing specifically the nutrient content of organic and conventionally produced meat. In this study, we report results of a meta-analysis based on sixty-seven published studies comparing the composition of organic and non-organic meat products. For many nutritionally relevant compounds (e.g. minerals, antioxidants and most individual fatty acids (FA)), the evidence base was too weak for meaningful meta-analyses. However, significant differences in FA profiles were detected when data from all livestock species were pooled. Concentrations of SFA and MUFA were similar or slightly lower, respectively, in organic compared with conventional meat. Larger differences were detected for total PUFA and n-3 PUFA, which were an estimated 23 (95\% CI 11, 35)\% and 47 (95\% CI 10, 84)\% higher in organic meat, respectively. However, for these and many other composition parameters, for which meta-analyses found significant differences, heterogeneity was high, and this could be explained by differences between animal species/meat types. Evidence from controlled experimental studies indicates that the high grazing/forage-based diets prescribed under organic farming standards may be the main reason for differences in FA profiles. Further studies are required to enable meta-analyses for a wider range of parameters (e.g. antioxidant, vitamin and mineral concentrations) and to improve both precision and consistency of results for FA profiles for all species. Potential impacts of composition differences on human health are discussed.",

keywords = "Organic foods, Animal products, Meat, Iron, Meat fat composition, n-3 PUFA, n-6 PUFA, POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS, CORONARY-HEART-DISEASE, ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID, NUTRITIONAL QUALITY, DAIRY-PRODUCTS, RED MEAT, PLANT FOODS, N-3 PUFA, HEALTH, CHAIN",

author = "Dominika Srednicka-Tober and Marcin Baranski and Chris Seal and Roy Sanderson and Charles Benbrook and Havard Steinshamn and Joanna Gromadzka-Ostrowska and Ewa Rembialkowska and Krystyna Skwarlo-Sonta and Eyre, \{Mick D.\} and Giulio Cozzi and Larsen, \{Mette Krogh\} and Teresa Jordon and Urs Niggli and Tomasz Sakowski and Calder, \{Philip C\} and Burdge, \{Graham C.\} and Smaragda Sotiraki and Alexandros Stefanakis and Halil Yolcu and Sokratis Stergiadis and Eleni Chatzidimitriou and Gillian Butler and Gavin Stewart and Carlo Leifert",

year = "2016",

month = jan,

day = "26",

doi = "10.1017/S0007114515005073",

language = "English",

volume = "115",

pages = "994--1011",

journal = "British Journal of Nutrition",

issn = "0007-1145",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "6",

}

Srednicka-Tober, D, Baranski, M, Seal, C, Sanderson, R, Benbrook, C, Steinshamn, H, Gromadzka-Ostrowska, J, Rembialkowska, E, Skwarlo-Sonta, K, Eyre, MD, Cozzi, G, Larsen, MK, Jordon, T, Niggli, U, Sakowski, T, Calder, PC, Burdge, GC, Sotiraki, S, Stefanakis, A, Yolcu, H, Stergiadis, S, Chatzidimitriou, E, Butler, G, Stewart, G & Leifert, C 2016, 'Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis', British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 115, no. 6, pp. 994-1011. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114515005073

Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. / Srednicka-Tober, Dominika; Baranski, Marcin; Seal, Chris et al.
In: British Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 115, No. 6, 26.01.2016, p. 994-1011.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Composition differences between organic and conventional meat

T2 - a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

AU - Srednicka-Tober, Dominika

AU - Baranski, Marcin

AU - Seal, Chris

AU - Sanderson, Roy

AU - Benbrook, Charles

AU - Steinshamn, Havard

AU - Gromadzka-Ostrowska, Joanna

AU - Rembialkowska, Ewa

AU - Skwarlo-Sonta, Krystyna

AU - Eyre, Mick D.

AU - Cozzi, Giulio

AU - Larsen, Mette Krogh

AU - Jordon, Teresa

AU - Niggli, Urs

AU - Sakowski, Tomasz

AU - Calder, Philip C

AU - Burdge, Graham C.

AU - Sotiraki, Smaragda

AU - Stefanakis, Alexandros

AU - Yolcu, Halil

AU - Stergiadis, Sokratis

AU - Chatzidimitriou, Eleni

AU - Butler, Gillian

AU - Stewart, Gavin

AU - Leifert, Carlo

PY - 2016/1/26

Y1 - 2016/1/26

N2 - Demand for organic meat is partially driven by consumer perceptions that organic foods are more nutritious than non-organic foods. However, there have been no systematic reviews comparing specifically the nutrient content of organic and conventionally produced meat. In this study, we report results of a meta-analysis based on sixty-seven published studies comparing the composition of organic and non-organic meat products. For many nutritionally relevant compounds (e.g. minerals, antioxidants and most individual fatty acids (FA)), the evidence base was too weak for meaningful meta-analyses. However, significant differences in FA profiles were detected when data from all livestock species were pooled. Concentrations of SFA and MUFA were similar or slightly lower, respectively, in organic compared with conventional meat. Larger differences were detected for total PUFA and n-3 PUFA, which were an estimated 23 (95% CI 11, 35)% and 47 (95% CI 10, 84)% higher in organic meat, respectively. However, for these and many other composition parameters, for which meta-analyses found significant differences, heterogeneity was high, and this could be explained by differences between animal species/meat types. Evidence from controlled experimental studies indicates that the high grazing/forage-based diets prescribed under organic farming standards may be the main reason for differences in FA profiles. Further studies are required to enable meta-analyses for a wider range of parameters (e.g. antioxidant, vitamin and mineral concentrations) and to improve both precision and consistency of results for FA profiles for all species. Potential impacts of composition differences on human health are discussed.

AB - Demand for organic meat is partially driven by consumer perceptions that organic foods are more nutritious than non-organic foods. However, there have been no systematic reviews comparing specifically the nutrient content of organic and conventionally produced meat. In this study, we report results of a meta-analysis based on sixty-seven published studies comparing the composition of organic and non-organic meat products. For many nutritionally relevant compounds (e.g. minerals, antioxidants and most individual fatty acids (FA)), the evidence base was too weak for meaningful meta-analyses. However, significant differences in FA profiles were detected when data from all livestock species were pooled. Concentrations of SFA and MUFA were similar or slightly lower, respectively, in organic compared with conventional meat. Larger differences were detected for total PUFA and n-3 PUFA, which were an estimated 23 (95% CI 11, 35)% and 47 (95% CI 10, 84)% higher in organic meat, respectively. However, for these and many other composition parameters, for which meta-analyses found significant differences, heterogeneity was high, and this could be explained by differences between animal species/meat types. Evidence from controlled experimental studies indicates that the high grazing/forage-based diets prescribed under organic farming standards may be the main reason for differences in FA profiles. Further studies are required to enable meta-analyses for a wider range of parameters (e.g. antioxidant, vitamin and mineral concentrations) and to improve both precision and consistency of results for FA profiles for all species. Potential impacts of composition differences on human health are discussed.

KW - Organic foods

KW - Animal products

KW - Meat

KW - Iron

KW - Meat fat composition

KW - n-3 PUFA

KW - n-6 PUFA

KW - POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS

KW - CORONARY-HEART-DISEASE

KW - ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID

KW - NUTRITIONAL QUALITY

KW - DAIRY-PRODUCTS

KW - RED MEAT

KW - PLANT FOODS

KW - N-3 PUFA

KW - HEALTH

KW - CHAIN

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84959419250

U2 - 10.1017/S0007114515005073

DO - 10.1017/S0007114515005073

M3 - Review

C2 - 26878675

SN - 0007-1145

VL - 115

SP - 994

EP - 1011

JO - British Journal of Nutrition

JF - British Journal of Nutrition

IS - 6

ER -

Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

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Keywords

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