Organic and Conventional Strawberry: Nutritional, Physical‐chemical, Antioxidant, and Pesticide Residues Composition.

Abstract

Conventional agriculture, based on the use of chemical, mechanical and biological inputs, can affect the environment and human health and, in view of this, sustainable models of organic production have been proposed. The objective of this study was to compare the nutritional, physical‐chemical and antioxidant properties and pesticide residues of strawberries grown under organic or conventional systems. Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne) cultivar Camarosa were produced in conventional or organic systems, under controlled agricultural conditions. Their compositions were analyzed regarding moisture, protein, carbohydrate, lipids, ash, pH, soluble solids, total solids, total titratable acidity, vitamin C, anthocyanin, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and pesticide residues (azoxystrobin, lambda‐cyhalothrin and thiamethoxam).The organic strawberries showed higher moisture (91.48 vs 91.03 mg/100g) and ash (0.43 vs 0.35 mg/100g) contents, while conventional strawberries had higher total solids (8.98 vs 8.53%), soluble solids (8.50 vs 8.13 °Brix), Protein (0.93 vs 0.75 mg/100g) and carbohydrate (6.80 vs 6.44 mg/100g). The pesticide residues in organic strawberry were below the limit of detection (<LOD) and the values in the conventional strawberries were below the limit of quantification (<LOQ). Under controlled crop production, the cultivation system did not affect substantially the nutritional, physical‐chemical and antioxidant properties and pesticide residues of strawberry.Acknowledgement: FAPES for financial support.