Department Analysis of Quality
Poland
Summary
The following thesis presents
a strict relation between health and nutritional behaviour. It has been proven
that in an attempt to stay health more and more people, including Poles, resort
to organic food. The main reason for purchasing food from ecological farms is,
above all, trying to avoid the health risk related the consumption of
conventional food. Organic food guarantees high nutritional value owing to the
environmental conditions of production of agricultural products, along with the
method of production, different from that typical food. All these factors are
enough of guarantee of the organic food’s quality and healthiness. The
functional properties of organic food quality it as food which contributes
human health, playing on essential preventory part of the human nutrition.
The above-mentioned
properties are a result of containing a vast range of ingredients owing to
which food organic the status of functional food. The ingredients such as
vitamins (particular vit. C), mineral ingredients, NNKT and also a more
advantageous aminoacid structure of protein, are be found much more frequently
in ecological food, rather than in conventional food.
It has
been scientifically proved that our lifestyle seriously affects our health – this
is the proved thesis of scientists from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm [21].
There can also be no denying that etiological
civilisational diseases are partly caused by
wrong nutrition.
The
studies conducted by the American Centre for Disease Control [3] also proved
that the most important factors affecting human health are food and proper
nutrition.
According
to the Centre’s evaluation, the human health condition depends:
-
in 53% on
lifestyles, human behaviours, including nutritional behaviours,
-
in 21% on environment,
-
in 16% on
genetical factors,
-
in 10-15% on
the condition of health care.
Szponar
and Respondek [23] note that among the
most serious diseases caused by improper nutrition are:
-
diseases of the
circulatory system, including arteriosclerosis,
heart attack, hypertension, brain stroke,
-
a
substantial majority of neoplasms, newgrowths and instances of cancer,
-
some of the
diseases of the digestive system,
-
osteoporosis,
-
caries,
-
insuline-dependent
diabetes,
-
obesity,
-
anemia because
of the lack of magnesium,
-
hyperlipidemia,
-
some
degenerational diseases of the motor system,
-
height and
weight deficiencies in children and youths,
-
delay in growth
and physiological development,
-
subclinical
vitamin deficiencies of antioxidant qualities,
-
low concentration
and the consequent study difficulty because of malnutrition,
-
low general
systemic immunity and resistance,
-
low birth
weight of infants constituting one of the major reasons contributing to the
death rate of children up to 1 year of age,
-
food poisonings
and contagious diseases transported via foods,
-
severe, mild or
chronical reactions to the presence in foods of natural toxic substances,
-
alcoholism and
the health consequences of the addiction.
From the
above-mentioned groups of diseases, disease units and imbalances in health
condition, only a small amount is included in the birth/death statistics
according to the cause. About the epidemiology of the remaining we may only
infer on the basis of part-data obtained from more or less representative population
studies [23].
It must
be stressed here that the vast majority of chronic and incurable diseases has a
genetical base, as our genes may carry the coded tendencies to
neoplasm/newgrowth diseases, coronary disease, hypertension, diabetes, asthma,
Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric diseases, obesity, and many others. However,
thanks to the early discovery of these predispositions (owing to the almost
complete, 100% examination of each person’s individual and unique genetical
code), proper preventive measures may be
taken. As has been contemporarily proved, the fact that a person is the carrier
of mutated genes no longer means developing a particular disease.
It bears
stating here with satisfaction that an
important breakthrough has taken place all over the world, including our
country, with regards to the social awareness of problems related to nutrition
and health, as well as the direct relationships between them. Studies conducted
at the Warsaw’s School of Trade have shown that 65% of young managers fear that
a disease might cross their professional plans, whereas 75% believe that this
might be avoided thanks to a proper lifestyle, so also – proper nutritional
behaviours. Thus, it gradually begins to happen more often that a healthy
lifestyle is being viewed as a factor determining social standing [24].
A poll
conducted in the USA by a group of professors from the University of Illinois
in Chicago has shown that the following percentage of Americans perceive:
- a
strict relationship between one’s diet and health condition (59,34%),
- a
partial relationship (30%),
- does
not perceive this relationship (11%) .
According
to CBOS data, in Poland the questions of proper nutrition interest 68% of
respondents, but only 27% always or often buy food enriched in, for example,
vitamins [24].
It may be
ascertained that taking care of one’s health has become a fact within our
society. Moreover, it stems not only from medical issues – health has become a
kind of good which is worth investing in, as it helps in finding a better job,
enhances the prospects of a fast professional promotion, as well as allows for self-education and
self-development.
Caring
about our health is a factor determining harmonious development and smooth
functioning of our organisms at each and every stage of our life. As put by
Roger Williams: “The greatest hope for longevity may only exist if right from
the onset of foetal life till the old age our nutrition is at all times of
highest quality “ [21].
The
complex problems of proper nutrition of people in all ages are met by
ecological foods and their assets. The chances and prospects of ecological
foods will be determined by the consumers themselves.
In caring
for one’s own health and that of one’s family, the Polish society begins to
more and more often take notice of ecological food as a guarantee of a high
nutritional and health quality, and because of that, as constituting an
important factor in the preventive measures taken to guard and protect our
health. Among the motives speaking for the obtaining of ecological food, what
is frequently stressed is the reduction of health risk which accompanies the
consumption of foods from industrial growing. The afore-mentioned factor has
been marked as the most prominent one in the studies of environment-friendly
attitudes conducted among the citizens of Sweden (EFBs) [13].
Therefore,
it seems justified to stress and accentuate those among the properties of
ecological foods which strengthen the human organism. Today, in the
circumstances of a growing interest in foods free from chemical contamination
and of a guaranteed, highest, quality, it is vital to acknowledge those of
these foods’ assets which allow to consider them as foods promoting the health
of the community and performing preventive functions in people’s diet.
The
wholesomeness of ecological food is actually one of the four fundamental rules
of IFOAM, along with ECOLOGY, JUSTICE,
and SOLICITUDE, which determine ecological agriculture on a world scale [16].
Organic food means:
It may be
inferred, then, from the definition of ecological food, that two most
significant factors guaranteeing the high quality of ecological food products
are fulfilled. They are:
In
ecological agriculture, these two factors do not pose any threat to the
produced food; in fact, they alone constitute a guarantee of the food’s
quality. It has its reflection in the system of ecological foods production
control. What is subject to control is not only the product itself, but also
the method of its production. The control is concerned with the evaluation of
the environmental conditions within a homestead and processing plant, as well
as with ascertaining that the requirements of ecological production are fulfilled,
also in the scope of packaging, storing, and transporting. The results of this
control determine the acquiring of a certificate alongside the criteria in
accordance with the Directives of Council No. 2092/91 and 1804/1999 [4,5]
as well as, in a broader context, with the acts on ecological agriculture of
the EU countries [17,26,27].
In light
of the reasoning presented above, a thesis on ecological food safety may be formulated with confidence. The thesis
consists in:
-
safety, safety against
the toxicity of foods,
-
safe,
nutritious products,
-
safety of
declaration (all components of a product are officially declared),
-
safety of label
(understood as eco-labelling.)
-
safety of the
supplies,
-
safety of
distribution,
-
safety of
clarity and neighbourhood ,
-
safety of the
consumer’s influence on food production,
-
safety of
information on the process of food production (certificate of an accreditation
unit),
-
safety, lack of
negative influence of the production practice on people and other live
organisms, climate and environment
[4,5].
Ecological
food is characterized in exactly the same ways as other types of foods (also
conventional foods). This means that we determine the food’s sensoric
(organoleptic) quality, nutritious value, health quality; however, we also do
speak of this food’s unique properties, such as vitalizing functions and its
primordiality [22].
To the
above-mentioned properties of ecological food we should also add its functional properties which are the result of its containing
a number of ingredients making it possible to count this type of food in among
other functional foods in the context of probably the most universal definition
from the EU FUFOSE document from 1999:
“For
food to be defined as functional, it has to be proven to have a benevolent
influence on one or more functions of the organism, above and apart from the
comestible effect, which enhances the health condition, improves one’s general
well-being, and works to reduce the risk of diseases. Functional food must
resemble in appearance conventional food, and it must prove its benevolent
actions in portions which are expected to be normally consumed together with
diet –functional food is not pills, but
one of the constituents of a healthy diet” [25].
The goal
of this paper is to discuss exactly such qualities of ecological food in light
of modern literature. It is vital today, in the era of a marked growth in
interest in chemical contamination-free food the quality of which is guaranteed
to be highest possible, to point to its other assets which make it possible to
consider this food as promoting human health and acting as an important
preventive measure.
As has
been remarked earlier, ecological food contains many ingredients which account
for this food’s status of functionality. Moreover, when compared with
conventional food, the functional contents are on much higher levels.
Most
studies of land produce cultivated ecologically present evidence of higher
levels of the following substances:
-
some vitamins
(especially C),
-
mineral
ingredients,
-
NNKT,
-
Amino-acid richer
protein [18,19,20].
Among
vegetables, there are also ones which share the above-presented features. It is
especially worth noting here potatoes and white cabbage.
Higher
levels of vitamin C (26,6 mg/100 g of fresh mass – 20,9% higher) were
detected by Rembiałkowska [18,19,20] in ecological-farm-potatoes, while
conventional potatoes contained only 22
mg/100 g of fresh mass. This has a particular significance if we take into
account the fact that conventional potatoes constitute a major contribution to
the general national diet.
White cabbage is another ecological vegetable with a higher level of vitamin C In 100 g of white cabbage, 45 mg of vitamin C has been discovered, which 34% more than in conventional cabbage (34 mg,
30%) [18,19,20].
Vitamin C performs a variety of important
protective functions:
Therefore,
ecological vegetables may be successfully used in neoplastic prophylaxis, as
well is combating other diseases caused by improper nutrition.
When it
comes to the levels of precious mineral ingredients in foods, it has been
observed that:
As for
the functional properties of these mineral ingredients (calcium, magnesium,
iron), it has been ascertained that they positively affect:
American studies on ecological food have proved that
such fruit and vegetables as strawberries, American berry (marionberry), corn,
tea fruits, contain from 19 to 60% more flavonoids. Flavonoids constitute the
greatest group of antioxidants and affect human organisms in a wide range of
positive ways:
Wine
produced from ecological substances was also characterized by higher levels of
flavonoids [15]. Similar effects have been observed by the producers of a
national tincture made from ecological ARONIA, produced on an 18-hectar-plantation
at an ecological farm in Kotlina Klodzka [12]. ARONIA is a South American shrub
whose fruits are a source of many a precious active substance (ANTOCYJANY),
vitamins (C, B2, B6, PP, P, E, carotene), microelements (Mo, Mn, Cu, B, J, Co), and
dietary fibre and pectins. The production of the tincture in ecological
conditions increases the levels of these substances.
According
to latest studies, functional properties also has conjugated linoleic acid It is a natural component of animal foods, present in
the fat of cow milk, dairy products, and meat of ruminants. It is believed to:
It has
been confirmed that the source of CLA (OKTADEKAINOWY ACID) is the milk of cows
pastured on ecological pastures, especially during the first stage of grass
growth (young grass). Milk obtained from cows in these conditions is usually
two times richer in CLA than conventional milk [6,14].
Functional
properties are also to be found in PUFA and NNKT which:
Owing to
the presence of these substances, ecological meat may be viewed as another
instance of functional food. It has been confirmed in many studies that
ecological
beef and veal have substantially higher levels of PUFA, whereas
ecological poultry contains more n-3 NNKT [ 9,14].
Literature:
Warszawa
1999.
quality between organically
and conventionally produced pigs. Meat
Science 2003.
www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/principles/index.html
www.
parl.sejm.gov.pl