Blair: Organic Production & Food Quality

1 The Shift to Organic Food

• Background
• Organic regulations
• Consumer perceptions
• Analysis of the topic
• References

2 Consumer Concerns About Food

• The concerns
• Consumer concerns and attitudes
• Food regulations
• Justification for consumer attitudes about the safety of organic and conventional foods
• Range of organic foods
• References

3 Vegetable Produce

• Pest and disease control
• Documented findings on pesticide residues
• Other chemical contaminants
• Other toxic and antinutritional compounds in produce
• Hormones
• Can organic produce cause food poisoning?
• Nutrient concentrations
• Organoleptic quality
• Identification of organic produce
• Food from afar
• Finally: watch which salad veg you eat
• Conclusions
• References

4 Fruit

• Pesticide residues
• Other risks with fruit
• Chemical residues
• Microbial problems
• Mycotoxins
• Cloning and gene-modified fruit
• Nutrient concentrations
• Appearance and organoleptic qualities
• Preserves
• Conclusions
• References

5 Cereal Grains

• Pesticide residues
• Chemical residues
• Other issues relating to grains
• Mycotoxins: are organic grains less safe?
• Gene-modified crops
• Nutritional and organoleptic qualities
• Wheat
• Oats
• Barley
• Conclusions
• References

6 Meat

• Chemical and pesticide residues
• Organic meat
• Hormones
• Hormone residue levels in meats. Do government agencies monitor for these?
• Developing countries
• Antibiotics
• Bacterial contamination of meat
• Cloning
• Mad-cow disease
• Contaminated beef products implicated
• Gene modification
• Nutritional and organoleptic qualities
• Beef
• Pork
• Poultry
• Fish
• Conclusions
• References

7 Milk and Milk Products

• The hormone issue
• Raw milk
• Antibiotic residues
• Pesticide and chemical residues
• Nutritional and organoleptic qualities
• Research findings
• Consumer findings
• Conclusions
• References

8 Eggs

• Cholesterol
• Salmonella and food-poisoning
• Contamination with residues
• Antibiotics
• Chemical residues
• Egg quality
• Research findings
• Consumer findings
• Conclusions
• References

9 Is Organic Food Safer?

• Residues
• Vegetable produce
• Fruit
• Cereal grains
• Meat
• Milk
• Eggs
• Food poisoning
• Mycotoxins
• Other anti-nutrients
• Nitrate
• Significance of the findings in relation to health
• Other research on food and health
• Health of farmers and farm workers
• Other approaches
• Conclusions
• References

10 Is Organic Food More Nutritious and "Tasty"?

• Reviews
• Analysis by food group
• Vegetable produce
• Fruit
• Cereal grains
• Meat
• Milk
• Eggs
• Taste
• References

11 Psychology of Organic Food Choice

• The safety issue
• Nutritional quality and taste
• Environmental issues
• Image
• Conclusions
• References

12 Conclusions

• Reference

Appendix 

Index

The internet is rife with biased and unsubstantiated claims from the organic industry, and the treatment of issues such as food safety and quality by the media ("if it bleeds, it leads") tends to have a negative impact on consumer perceptions about conventional food. Until recently, more and more consumers in many countries were opting to buy organic food over conventional food, resulting in a radical shift in food retailing. This was due to concerns over chemical residues, food poisoning resulting in recalls, food scares such as "mad-cow" disease, issues like gene-modified (GM foods), antibiotics, hormones, cloning and concerns over the way plants and animals are being grown commercially as food sources. As a result there has been an expansion of the organic industry and the supply of organic foods at farmers' markets, supermarkets and specialty stores.

Effects of Organic Production & Food Quality: A Down to Earth Analysis is the first comprehensive book on how organic production methods influence the safety and quality of foods, based on an unbiased assessment of the latest scientific findings. The title is a 'must-have' for everyone working within the food industry.

Key Features

• Comprehensive explanation of organic production methods and effects on the safety and quality of foods.
• Authoritative, unbiased and up-to-date examination of relevant global scientific research.
• Answers the questions of whether organic food is more nutritious and/or more healthy.

Book Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813812178
• ISBN-13: 978-0813812175
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches

List Price: $199.99 

 

Tags: Food Product Development