A new study by the University of Copenhagen has revealed that organic foods contained no more nutrients than non-organic foods grown with the use of pesticides, CNN reports.

Researchers studied five different crops -- carrots, kale, mature peas, apples and potatoes -- which were cultivated both organically (without pesticides) and conventionally (with the use of pesticides), and found that there was no higher level of trace elements in the food grown organically.

"No systematic differences between cultivation systems representing organic and conventional production methods were found across the five crops, so the study does not support the belief that organically grown foodstuffs generally contain more major and trace elements than conventionally grown foodstuffs," study leader Dr Susanne Bügel said.

This study -- published in the latest edition of the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) "Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture" -- is the first to assess the nutritional value of organic fruits and vegetables. It should be noted that the study does not make conclusions about the comparative levels of pesticides or chemicals in conventionally and organically grown food, or the health effects of consuming such chemicals.

The study results could be seen to support the idea that shopping organically is a lifestyle choice.

When the idea of organics being a lifestyle choice was floated in 2007 by then UK environment secretary David Miliband, it drew fierce reaction from proponents of organic food, including the Soil Association, which represents organic producers.

He told the UK's Sunday Times newspaper in January 2007 that organic food represented a lifestyle choice consumers could make and suggested that the use of chemicals and pesticides in non-organic foods didn't necessarily mean they were of inferior quality.

In the U.S., the organic food market has been growing year on year. According to the Organic Trade Association, supermarket chains like Whole Foods have helped the organic food and beverage market grow from around $1 billion in sales in 1990 to around $20 billion in 2007. Total sales for organic food and non-food products in the U.S. are expected to surpass $25 billion this year.