Done! Now at http://organicorbust.blogspot.com
You can now read Organic or Bust at its new location, http://organicorbust.blogspot.com! Please make sure you check it out!
Cashing In/Green Supply and Demand
It’s really no surprise that food manufacturers want to cash in on the whole “organic trend.”
“Top processors including Kraft and General Mills have started organic lines or are buying organic companies to add to their portfolios. Wal-Mart is planning to double its organic offerings this year. Retailers such as Safeway and Super Target have launched their own private labels, with Super Target having gone the extra step to get USDA certification as an organic retailer. McDonalds is serving organic coffee. The shelves at 7-Eleven are stocked with organic snacks.”
It’s a good thing though because it makes eating organic food a little easier and more readily available. It’s also nice to see products everyone is familiar with go organic i.e. Frosted Mini-Wheats, Welch’s Grape Juice, Ragu Sauce, etc. etc.
Target becoming USDA certified seems pretty interesting..
They Cloned Bessie
I can’t believe the FDA is seriously thinking about approving cloned food.
“The FDA announced Dec. 28 that a four-year review of data showed milk and meat from cloned cows, pigs and goats posed no increased safety risks.”
Read more about the cloning controversy.
The FDA is wrong about EVERYTHING. How could anyone possibly trust them? This is all too gross. Cloned products won’t even be labeled! You could be eating Bessie’s clone without knowing it. Whether it’s from your supermarket or a restaurant, animal clones will be everywhere. (This is starting to sound like science fiction..)
There’s still time to let the FDA know how you feel. You can submit your opinions until April 2. Don’t let this happen!
(Image from Wikipedia)
Having Trouble Going Organic?
Go Organic! for Earth Day might be just what you need to convert yourself into a organic foodie:
“Go Organic! for Earth Day helps consumers cut through the clutter and take the first steps toward making organic products part of their daily lives, http://www.organicearthday.org/.
This April, more than 3,500 grocery stores and 40 leading organic manufacturers will come together for Go Organic! for Earth Day to help consumers discover, understand and ultimately enjoy organic products as part of their daily lives.”
Of course, it’s not hard to make the switch anyway: all you need to do is buy the items that you usually buy from organic companies instead of conventional. I’m sure this program will be helpful to some people though.
Shift Away from Shift
I was excited when I found out Stonyfield Farm was coming out with an organic energy drink called Shift. Even though the flavors (Berry Boost, Power Punch and Strawberry Banana) weren’t all that appealing to me, I still picked one up and had it for breakfast the next morning. Man, was it horrible. This review from The Message Whore pretty much sums it up.
I don’t think I’ll be buying Shift again anytime soon. It has a terrible aftertaste and packs no energy despite the added acai, ginseng, protein and vitamins. I tried Strawberry Banana and it tasted like a horrible combination of old yogurt, apple juice, strawberry and banana. When I looked at the ingredient list, guess what the first ingredient was? Apple juice concentrate. Does that even make sense? My prediction is it will be discontinued soon.
(P.S. I swear I will start writing proper reviews soon! I just need to find the cable that connects the digital camera to my computer and I’ll be all set.)
Horizon Organic = “Sham Organic Milk”
How much worse can Horizon Organic get? Obviously, they want their products labeled “organic” so people will purchase them, but they don’t seem to care about anything else. Why wouldn’t they want to end a boycott of their products by just doing the right thing?
“We have acted in good faith and have notified Horizon on what they need to do for OCA to end the boycott. It seems the constructive dialogue we had with mediator Michael Funk, CEO United Natural Foods has been cut off,” says Ronnie Cummins, Executive Director of the Organic Consumers Association. “It is up to Horizon to decide if they are going to comply with consumer expectations and make sure that their milk is truly organic, or if they are going to continue to exploit loopholes in the USDA NOP (National Organic Program) to sell sham organic milk.”
What a shameful company. I will never purchase any of their products ever again. (This article frustrated me so much I don’t even know what to say.)
Kiwis Prove It
A recent study has found that organic kiwis are in fact more nutritious than conventional:
“The Davis scientists, led by Drs. Maria Amodio and Adel Kader, showed that organically grown kiwifruit had significantly increased levels of polyphenols, the healthy compounds found in red wine and coloured berries. They also had a higher overall antioxidant activity, as well as higher levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and important minerals compared with their conventionally grown counterparts.”
Who would have thought such a tiny piece of fruit could have proven something like that?
(Image from Wikipedia)
Best for Baby 2
A Consumer Watch study from Texas found that feeding your infant organic food is best for them:
“Baby food is usually made from condensed fruits and vegetables. This means that the pesticide residue can sometimes be concentrated as well. So, you’ll get higher levels than in regular food,” said Rangan.”
“So when it comes to babies, Consumer Reports believes organic baby food can be worth the extra money. Buying organic baby food is just one example of when paying more money pays off.”
The rest of the article explains which foods should be purchased organically and why. Same old same old information, but still good to know!
Best for Baby
Many researchers agree expecting mothers should eat only organic food to ensure the safety and healthy development of their unborn children:
“Parents have good reason to be concerned. Children’s developing immune, central-nervous, and hormonal systems are especially vulnerable to damage from toxic chemicals. “A lot of these pesticides are toxic to the brain,” says Philip Landrigan, a professor of pediatrics and preventative medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. “We have very good evidence that exposure of the fetus to organophosphorus pesticides produces babies with small head circumference, which is a risk factor for reduced intelligence and behavior disturbances.”
Then, of course, babies should be fed only the best! Earth’s Best Baby Food seems like a pretty popular brand. I have seen their cute little jars pretty much everywhere. Sometimes I’m even tempted to buy their products..
Stop the Madness: Say No to Cloned Food
Don’t let the FDA do this to us. Tell them not to allow cloned food . You only have until April 2 to let them know how you feel!
I can’t believe they would even consider doing this. It is absolutely revolting.
