In this study, we explored the importance of good agricultural practices (GAP) in organic farming by quantifying differences in key nutrients and pesticide/herbicide residues between organic and non-organic (conventional) grown elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) and wild plums (Prunus americana, P. munsoniana, P. angustifolia, and P. hortulana). Organic foods are known for eliminating harmful compounds (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, nanoparticles, etc.) into food consumption, increasing nutrient intake, and improving consumer health. However, organic foods that are produced without GAP, despite avoiding chemical contamination to a certain extent, are very likely to fail in providing sufficient nutrients and thus mislead consumers into paying high prices for foods with low or insufficient nutrient levels. Therefore, an emphasis on GAP in organic farming and its association with nutritional content, with a focus on providing quantifiable information, will play a crucial and urgent role in improving people's food security and sustainability, especially in addressing health disparities among those underserved communities. The study included a control and two subgroups in each category: GAP and lack of GAP by both organic and conventional growers. A state-of-the-art ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) system was used for high-throughput screening of multi-category nutrients and contaminants under target and non-target screening modes. In summary, our analytical and metabolomics detection methods will provide sufficient evidence for compound identification and quantification. They will facilitate to differentiation of nutrients/contaminants content in various fruits with different levels of agricultural practices.

Organic vs. conventional: A quantitative nutrition/contaminants profiling case study on local elderberries and wild plums

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