Study: Organics no healthier than other foods

The review of 162 studies, commissioned by Britain's Food Standards Agency , found no differences in most nutrients — including in vitamin C, calcium and iron — from both kinds of crops. The same was true for meat, dairy and eggs.

Some differences were found — nitrogen and phosphorus levels — but the report said they most probably resulted from fertilizers and ripeness at harvest, with no likely benefits.

One big "however": The study, conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, did not examine pesticide residue, use of antibiotics or the environmental issues of food grown naturally. That comparison falls to scientists trained in other disciplines.

Organic producers say the study misses the big point about why consumers are increasingly turning to foods grown without chemicals or drugs.

"We don't dispute what they found. We don't make health claims based on the nutrition of organic food. But we are saying they contain less of the things that might hurt, like chemicals," Laura Telford, national director of Canadian Organic Growers.