05.2019
summarised by author Mag. rer. nat. Susanne Seufer-Wasserthal

A study on the correlation between organic food and cancer risk attracted widespread attention in October 2018. The data for this epidemiological study was collected in connection with the French NutriNet-Santé study.
Study design: For data collection, the participants were asked to fill in an online questionnaire about themselves and their eating habits. Participants had to rate how often they consume certain organic foods – “never”, “sometimes”, “usually”. The foods were categorised into 16 food groups, e.g. fruit, vegetables, meat, ready meals and sweets. Based on the participants’ answers, the scientists determined each person’s “Food Score”. The more organic food was consumed, the higher the score. Important information on the participants’ health, hospitalisations, or the use of any medication was also collected.