Organic vs. Conventional Seed - Birds Vote with Their Beaks!

June 3 2010

Times Online (UK) reported on May 19 that birds "had a strong preference for conventional seed, with significantly more being consumed than organic alternatives" and that analysis showed conventional seed had about 10% higher protein content than organic seed.

Hmm. How should this finding be viewed in light of global growth in the purchase and consumption of organic food? Should we follow the birds? Or is that a bird-brained idea?

The abstract of the original article, published Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, does not describe how the protein analysis was done. If it was a simple test for nitrogen (a common practice, as proteins but not most other foods contain nitrogen), it could be that nitrogen is present as an adulturant from fertilzer.

All in all, perhaps studies like this should be taken with a "grain" of salt (or seed).

Category: Now You Know
Filed under: Animals, Organic