(OR16-01-26) From Farm Practices to Food Quality: Multiomics Evidence Linking Agricultural Management to Nutritional Composition

Objectives: To determine how agricultural management practices influence the molecular composition and nutritional quality of food. Using a standardized multiomics, data-driven framework within the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI), we systematically characterized foods produced under conventional and organic/regenerative systems to identify compositional differences and molecular signatures associated with production practices. This strategy enables high-resolution characterization of compositional diversity and generates actionable evidence to provide dietary guidance, food labeling, and agricultural policy aimed at advancing both human and planetary health.

Methods: Widely consumed, protein-rich plant (nuts, seeds, legumes, grains) and animal-based foods (dairy, meats) produced under conventional and regenerative/organic systems were collected and processed using standardized PTFI protocols, including cooking, homogenization, and lyophilization prior to extraction and LC–MS analysis. Comprehensive molecular profiling was performed using an integrated multi-omics platform comprising lipidomics, ionomics, untargeted metabolomics, proteomics, and glycomics. Cross-omics datasets were harmonized and integrated using a data-driven analytical pipeline to characterize compositional diversity and identify molecular signatures linked to agricultural management.

Results: Integrated multi-omics profiling identified compositional differences between foods produced under conventional and regenerative/organic agricultural systems. This systematic molecular characterization of plant- and animal-based foods highlights the inherent complexity of food composition and indicates that production systems are associated with measurable shifts in molecular profiles and nutritional attributes. Production system–associated trends were food-dependent, with more pronounced signals observed in certain plant foods and more modest shifts in animal-derived products.

Conclusions: Together, this data-driven framework provides a foundation for future research and may inform evidence-based strategies to improve nutritional quality and strengthen food systems, advancing human and planetary health.

Funding Sources: Rockefeller Foundation