Organic vs Conventional Broccoli

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No difference reallyInternational Journal of Food Sciences and NutritionVolume 59 Issue 1 2008, pp. 34 – 45.Nutritional quality of organic, conventional, and seasonally grownbroccoli using vitamin C as a markerShahla M. Wunderlich, Feldman, Kane, Taraneh HazhinAbstractOrganically labeled vegetables are considered by many consumers to behealthier than non-organic or 'conventional' varieties. However,whether the organic-labeled vegetables contain more nutrients is notclear. The purpose of this study is to examine the nutritional qualityof broccoli using vitamin C, a fragile and abundant nutrient, inbroccoli as a biomarker. The vitamin C content was assayed(2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol method) in broccoli samples obtainedfrom supermarkets that are considered the point of consumerconsumption. These samples were obtained during different seasons whenthe broccoli could be either harvested locally or shipped fardistances. The findings indicate that vitamin C could be used as amarker under a controlled laboratory environment with some limitationsand, although the vitamin C content of organically and conventionallylabeled broccoli was not significantly different, significant seasonalchanges have been observed. The fall values for vitamin C were almosttwice as high as those for spring for both varieties (P=0.021 fororganic and P=0.012 for conventional). The seasonal changes in vitaminC content are larger than the differences between organically labeledand conventionally grown broccoli.