Four European research institutes have joined forces to found a new research association that aims to encourage, co-ordinate and disseminate research in the field of organic food and health.
The International Research Association for Organic Food Quality and Health said this week that it will aim to meet the increasing demand for scientific evidence about the potential health benefits of organic food from industry, consumers and policy makers.
Founding research members of the new FQH association include the University of Kassel, Germany, and its department for organic food quality and food culture, the Louis Bolk Instituut in the Netherlands, Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), a private foundation comprised of organic farmers, scientists and politicians and the Biodynamic Research Association Denmark (BRAD), a research institution that focuses on the quality of organic plant products and developing methods for possible application in food quality control.
Already the new group is inviting research institutions and stakeholders to work together on research projects focusing on a range of questions posed. These include, among others, can consumption of organically produced food improve human health, do organic farming methods have an effect on the nutritional quality of food, do food products of an organic production method have distinct or special quality characteristics, and does organic food processing influence the risk of allergic reactions?
The official launch of the FQH Association - 14 February - will coincide with Biofach, the organic agriculture and food fair taking place in Germany from 13-16 February.