Organics is growing in the super market
I just went shopping the other day and I noticed that the organic produce which used to occupy a small corner is now almost as big as the conventional vegetables. The same is true on the shelves there are everything from organic bread to soup. The organic movement is growing.
It sure is. This makes me happy too.
Few years ago, I was buying bread crumbs at Ralph's. Every single product and there was like ten of them did not have actual bread crumbs in it. I gave up and went home. I let my bread harden and I created my own bread crumbs. I remember feeling so depressed by this experience. Now, seeing organic products at supermarkets, I feel like there is hope.
Few years ago, I was buying bread crumbs at Ralph's. Every single product and there was like ten of them did not have actual bread crumbs in it. I gave up and went home. I let my bread harden and I created my own bread crumbs. I remember feeling so depressed by this experience. Now, seeing organic products at supermarkets, I feel like there is hope.
I am hoping as organics become more commonplace the prices will come down as well. But, I do like that the variety of products have improved a lot and so has the quality. Before the organic vegetables were in the store so long that they did not look very good and they were often shriveling up. Now, that more people are buying organic, the produce looks much fresher, although still not as good as right from the garden.
I'm usually pretty wary when it comes to organics. I was buying some real maple syrup last year, and when I was checking out, the $5.00 bottle was almost $1.00 more. When we checked the price tag again on the shelf, I realized there were two different prices. The labels and ingredients were the same, the brand was the same. The only difference was one of them was labeled organic, and one wasn't. I know for a fact this brand had always been labeled organic. I'm not particularly concerned about whether it is or not, it just happened to be the brand that was available. So, either they were lying initially, or they are selling the same product not labeled organic at the same price and then marking that product as organic and selling it for more.
As I said, it's not much of a concern for me, and whatever someone else wants to eat is their business. Sometimes though, I think these companies are just looking to capitalize on the term organic.
As I said, it's not much of a concern for me, and whatever someone else wants to eat is their business. Sometimes though, I think these companies are just looking to capitalize on the term organic.
Organic is a marketing term and there are a bunch of hoops the farmers have to jump through before they can call their product legally organic. It does cost them more for the extra time it takes for the certification and while organic seed prices are reasonable and comparable to conventional seeds, the cost for organic fertilizers, compost and manures are expensive and labor intensive to apply. Not to mention the requirements for buffer zones and the higher labor costs for hand weeding and the high cost for the organic pesticides that they are limited to and have to apply more often. The initial costs of conversion can be very expensive, but over time hopefully the compost and organic fertilizers will become more available and less expensive.
I'm glad you guys have the choice to buy the over-priced, over-marketed produce called organics. I still think it is a "get on the bandwagon because it feels good" situation much like the big, overblown gluten thing. A vegetable doesn't care what kind of nutrient it gets, it processes them all the same and the end product is identical. Pesticides all wash off. The nutrient value of organic and non-organic is identical. The tag 'organic' is not policed very well, if at all, so that in my opinion (for whatever that is worth), most organic is not strictly organic as defined by some government agency, particularly if the "organically grown" produce happens to come from another country.
Anybody can put the line, "organically grown" or many variations on their produce. Without the Federal Numbers that go along with the certification it can be anything. That is on the containers or shipping boxes and you rarely see that information on the grocery shelves.
Be sure to treat your produce purchases just like they were not organic because just because there is a sign doesn't make it so. At the Farmers Markets the organic certifications are in plain sight, so that is about the only place I would trust organics to be organics.
I must be in a grumpy mood today because I generally let the organic vs regular produce thing go because those who are over the moon with organics have a right to whatever they feel is right. But today I had to lash out for some reason. Buyers beware. As for me, I am not on the organic faddish bus.
Anybody can put the line, "organically grown" or many variations on their produce. Without the Federal Numbers that go along with the certification it can be anything. That is on the containers or shipping boxes and you rarely see that information on the grocery shelves.
Be sure to treat your produce purchases just like they were not organic because just because there is a sign doesn't make it so. At the Farmers Markets the organic certifications are in plain sight, so that is about the only place I would trust organics to be organics.
I must be in a grumpy mood today because I generally let the organic vs regular produce thing go because those who are over the moon with organics have a right to whatever they feel is right. But today I had to lash out for some reason. Buyers beware. As for me, I am not on the organic faddish bus.
In the markets there is a symbol for certified organic produce and they usually are labeled here as organic. By organic standards organic produce has to be separated from the non-organic stuff. When they are bagged, the USDA organic label is on the package. What is loose can still be problematic because the shoppers often don't put things back where they belong. I do agree though that if the products are compared side by side under the same growing conditions with the same variety the only difference is probably the smaller size of the organic produce. Nutrient and taste should be similar under similar conditions. I don't always buy organic, but some people do like to have a choice. However, many consumers have been given the impression that organic is healthier but it is not. It has the same nutrient value as conventionally raised produce of the same variety under the same conditions. Many people also believe that organic is pesticide free when the opposite is true. Organic farms must apply pesticides more often but they are limited to organic pesticides. Organic by definition has to be non GMO. GMO is not a bad thing, it was developed to make it easier for the farmers to reduce the cost of production and losses. If GMO is a concern then people should have non-gmo options if they are willing to pay the higher price to offset production inefficiencies and losses.
https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulati ... c/labeling
https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulati ... c/labeling