Organic nation:
Mainstream grocers are now offering organic foods
By KAREN FERNAU
The
October 30, 2008
via Jackson Sun – Tennessee
The demand for organic foods - from fruits, pizza, breakfast
cereals and cookies to pasta, ketchup, sirloin steaks and baby food - is
growing stronger. Consider these fast facts:
Sales of organic food have grown about 20 percent during the
last five years, with this year's tally expected to top $15 billion, the
Organic Trade Association reports.
More than one-fourth of Americans are eating more organic
products than a year ago, according to a 2004 survey by Whole Foods Market. At
the same time, more than half of Americans have tried organic products.
The food industry has responded at breakneck speed.
Mainstream retailers led by Safeway, with more than 150 products under its line
of organic foods, now carry respectable inventories of organic food.
Organic grocers have multiplied. Meantime, the biggest food
manufacturers have bought up some of the best-known organic brands and started
their own lines: Coca-Cola owns Odwalla. General Mills owns Muir Glen and
Cascadian Farm. Smuckers bought Knudsen and Santa Cruz Organic.
Why the boom?
The most obvious consumer motivation is health. Most buy
organic foods to protect their bodies from toxins and hormones. These consumers
believe certified organic - foods produced without toxic pesticides, sewage
sludge, antibiotics, growth hormones and irradiation - are better for their
health than conventionally produced foods.
In 2003, the federal government made buying organic easier
by instituting strict regulations on what can be labeled organic.
The
The American Dietetic Association refutes any health claims,
saying the amounts of toxins allowed by the federal government are far below
toxic levels. The
"There might not be strong science yet behind eating
organic, but I think we intuitively know that eating toxic chemicals over a
period of time is dangerous," said Janet Little,
a San Diego-based nutritionist for Henry's Farmers Market.
An increasing number of parents, however, are unwilling to
wait for scientific evidence. Organic food for children, once available only in
health food stores, quickly has become a top seller. Sales of organic baby food
jumped nearly 18 percent last year, according to ACNielsen, a marketing
information company.
Shoppers also turn to organic to help heal the Earth. The
use of conventional pesticides can damage the Earth by leaching into the
groundwater and local streams, advocates claim.
Testimonies drive trend
Nearly five years ago, former corporate executive Jennifer
Miranda decided to say no to food on drugs.
She converted to organic.
"My health was not the best," says Miranda,
"I was not suffering from a terrible disease, but had weird allergies,
broke into hives and was fatigued most the time. I felt it was time to eat
clean - no chemicals."
Miranda's hunch, and subsequent commitment to organic, paid
off. Today, the owner of Mandala Tearoom, a vegan organic restaurant in
"My story is not all that unusual today," she
says. "Lots of people are like me, concerned enough about their health to
go organic. When retailers like Wal-Mart sell organic foods, it's safe to say
organic has gone from fringe to mainstream."
jacksonsun.com