Scientists have developed a test that can detect if unscrupulous traders are trying to pass off non-organic fruit and vegetables as organic to boost their profits.
The chemical test relies on identifying a “nitrogen signature” that is left in food by the conventional fertilisers used in intensive farming.
Organic food, which is a £15 billion global market, is currently regulated by a system of certification and inspection.
Simon Kelly, of the University of East Anglia, said that the test, reported by his team in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, could provide extra evidence when foul play was suspected.
“When the test has been made more reliable then we may get to the stage where it can be used routinely in addition to the organic certification system,” he said.
Article by Roger Highfield for The Daily Telegraph UK, April 9, 2007
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This was posted on Wednesday, April 11th, 2007 at 12:22 am by Ysanne Spevack. To link here, use the permalink. You can follow any responses to this post through the 
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every food that we eat should come from Organic Farming. i really get scared about those toxins coming from chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides. I only eat foods which are certified that they are organically grown
Posted by detoxdietlady on 3rd October 2009 at 6:57 am | Permalink