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!
The Banana Test
A German study put bananas to the test and found some “organic” bananas were not truly organic.
“At least, three active substances were found in 28 of the conventionally cultivated bananas. A test for the remaining conventional banana from Colombia contained some tracks of pesticide. With respect to organic bananas, no verifiable rakes of pesticides were found. However, three classified as organic bananas were complained about the presence of active substances (Thiabendazol, Imazalil), these substances cannot be contained in organic produce according to the organic cultivation regulations.”
Now if only I could scientifically analyze all of my produce just to make sure.. haha.
SunOpta Expands Relations, Offers More
SunOpta, a distributor of organic and natural food products, announced a new deal with the South American fruit industry that will make organic fruits and vegetables more readily available to the public.
“Steve Bromley, President and Chief Executive Officer of SunOpta commented that “We have had an excellent relationship with these companies over the past number of years and are delighted to expand these relationships to ensure our customers of a high quality, reliable and growing source of key organic products. These transactions reflect our strategy of extending our international sourcing capabilities for products that are in short supply globally.”
Maybe now blueberries won’t cost six dollars for four ounces?
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..
Organic Pizza for People on the Go
After coming home from a long day of school or work, most people don’t seem to care what they eat as long as it’s quick and tastes good. The whole “organic” concept is completely lost, with the only concern being about eating something. On these occassions, fast food is ideal for the wallet, stomach and watch (maybe not your health though.) Fortunately, more and more health conscious fast food joints are opening up. If you are lucky enough to live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, you have the option of ordering up a delicious and healthy organic pizza.
“Pizza Fusion (www.pizzafusion.com), the leader in organic, quick-service food and a better quality of life, kicked off the opening of their first franchise in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this weekend with a highly successful launch party. 600 people showed up on Saturday to be the first to taste the new restaurant’s offerings, consuming more than 300 pizzas and an extensive list of organic beer and wine.
..The popularity of the organic food industry coupled with Pizza Fusion’s aggressive environmental approach makes for an amazing restaurant concept that has entered the market at just the right time,” Jeffrey Yagoda explains. “However, their concept wouldn’t be a success without the high quality of their product. They’ve mastered the art of the pizzeria with a pie that’s taste speaks for itself. From the oval shape of our gourmet pizzas to the unique taste of our specialty pies, it’s a pizza unlike any other. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked.”
Farmer Wins in Organic Food Fight
Farmer Arthur Harvey had a problem with how the goverment labeled organic food. So what did he do? He stood up for what he believed was right and ended up winning:
“Harvey’s legal focus is ensuring food labels are accurate and that food producers cannot label a product certified organic if it isn’t. The result of his recent work is a change in federal laws – effective June 8 – that better define what organic means for milk and food, and better inform the public about the products they are purchasing and consuming.
…You’ve got to watch these federal agencies like a hawk,” Harvey said. “They can take an act of Congress and shape it to suit the industry rather than the consumer. It’s my objective to get the regulations back in sync with what the Congress intended.
“Organic consumers need more than government assurance that food is safe,” Harvey said.”
I think we all owe Mr. Harvey a big thank you for all of his efforts. He used to have a website at restoreorganiclaw.com, but it appears to be down.
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.)
Mix It Up
Steenbergs Organic, a certified organic spice company from Europe, is adding organic baking mixes to their line-up:
“Industrial baking supplier Steenbergs Organic has extended its range of organic spice mixes used in the production of bakery items such as loaves, biscuits and cakes to help bakers target the growing organic sector.”
“American consumers are included as well with a pumpkin pie mix and the French market is covered with a sweet quatre epices variety.”
I have seen my share of organic baking mixes at the market. I still don’t understand why people bother with them since it’s just THAT EASY to bake from scratch. Anyway, Dr. Oetker has plenty of organic baking mixes. I made the chocolate chip cookie one once because it was on sale and people in my family seemed to like it. They described the cookies as “different,” but I think it was a good kind of different.
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.)
