§ Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domerasked Her Majesty's Government:
In the light of research published in the April edition of Medicines Now showing that fruit and vegetables grown by traditional organic methods contain much larger quantities of essential minerals than those grown using artificial fertilisers, whether they will conduct further research into mineral loss in crops. [HL4160]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)Differences seen in the mineral content of fruits and vegetables will be due to a wide range of factors, including study methodology, variety, growth and storage conditions. The Food Standards Agency advises that available evidence does not support the conclusion that fruit and vegetables grown by organic methods consistently contain larger quantities of essential mineral than those grown using artificial fertilisers. The Government have no plans to commission research into comparative mineral levels in organically and conventionally grown crops.