In a piece we ran on September 13, we analyzed a request made in the UK by the Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative to the Food Standards Agency asking that organic milk be recognized as more nutritious than conventional milk. The Pundit was skeptical and… apparently, correct. The Food Standards Agency has concluded its review, including the new study submitted:
The FSA has concluded that whilst this study shows that organically produced milk can contain higher levels of types of fats called short-chain omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally produced milk, the evidence suggests that these fatty acids appear to be of limited health benefit compared to the longer chain omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish.2,3
Short-chain fatty acids can be converted to these long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to be protective against cardiovascular disease. However the conversion rate of the short-chain fatty acids to the longer chain fatty acids appears to be very limited.4,5
Therefore, organic milk consumed in volumes consistent with a healthy diet would not provide sufficient amounts of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids to provide significant health benefits, over and above those associated with conventional milk.
