The organic farming community has fought back against claims their produce is no healthier than food grown by other methods.
David Miliband, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has claimed there is no conclusive evidence that organic food is better than products grown conventionally.
His comments came as a blow to the organic food industry, which is keen to obtain official recognition of the nutritional and environmental benefits which it ascribes to chemical-free farming.
Pete Glanville, secretary of the Shetland Organic Producers Group, which farms vegetables and sheep, said: "You only have to look at the list of things that goes into creating lots of things to realise just how much we are not putting into our bodies by eating organic."
Liz Lawrence, from the website faceofflowers.com, which specialises in organic produce said: "Organic produce is the only legally guaranteed food that you know what you're getting, you know there's no chemicals in there.
"To sell organic produce you have to be registered and you're inspected very thoroughly."
Robin Maynard, Campaigns Director for the Soil Association "It has been shown over the years that there is a difference between food produced organically and that produced using industrial methods."
Mr Maynard admitted there was a lack of studies showing how organic food could be healthier, but research had shown higher levels of Vitamin C in organic produce, and recent research into organic milk had proved it contained higher levels of Omega 3.
But the National Farmer's Union threw its weight behind Mr Miliband.
NFU President Peter Kendall said he had seen "no evidence" to prove organic food is healthier. He added: "If there's a small but growing percentage of consumers who want a different product, then that's a great opportunity for members."
