Jul.04.2008
4:07 pm
by Helen
All That Glitters Is Not Organic by Chef Helen, “Talk to me!”
READ and LOOK beyond the beautiful green looking packaging colors, beyond the eye catching natural looking graphics, and definitely beyond that impulse pleasing buzz word, ‘ORGANIC’. Better not to put your faith in the store, not ANY store where you shop. Read the ingredients. In my experience the paragraph long ingredient lists, even listing some ‘organic’ ingredients, should be avoided. For instance, a product stating that it’s made with ‘organic soy milk’ doesn’t mean that the product is organic, only that some ingredients are organic. Read the rest of the ingredient statement, and then make your decision. Become an informed, educated shopper. You make the decision on the quality and integrity of the products you’re buying to feed your family. Be flexible between quality and taste if you’re not preparing it yourself. Remember that you can add your favorite seasonings, etc. to make it yours. What’s most important is that your beginning product be as organic and chemical free as possible.
Many, most or maybe even all conglomerates who are buying up the smaller companies (mom ‘n pops are basically extinct) aren’t doing it for love but more for the love of the game…the game being monopoly, the reality food edition. Organic / natural foods has turned into one big cash cow. They are notorious for compromising ingredient costs & quality to cash in on the multibillion dollar natural food business. I’ve had that unfortunate experience myself when I sold my first large natural bread business in the mid 1980’s. YEA!!! it even dates as long ago as that. They degraded the absolutely delicious formula — substituting low quality ingredients for higher profit, and killed the fabulous taste. It’s still out there, but it’s just a mere shadow. Be very careful. Follow your favorite products with a watchful eye. If that company is sold, know who bought them and keep reading those ingredients to know if they’ve replaced your natural and organic favorites with non-natural and non-organic ones. Another experience I want to share with you is about a California bread company whose baguettes were terrific. It was crunchy, good tasting, just the basic few ingredients necessary for a terrific bread. Then it was sold. The good tasting natural few ingredients changed to a paragraph of chemicals. And the great taste is gone. But the packaging is still the same, so if you don’t detect any taste change or are not checking the ingredient list, you wouldn’t know that your family is eating a product from a company ‘under new management’! Surprisingly, one of the two huge discount warehouse markets that we all know carries its own organic brand plus a few other pretty righteous organic products. I was very skeptical at first, but they’re pretty good. Be an informed consumer, let the store know what you want and brands you’re unwilling to accept. Just be aware that the organic glitter out there may not be worth mining! The EYE CANDY that catches your eye may not be what it seems….
Filed in Wellness |
This is a fantastic commentary not only on the English language, but on its misuse. It is amazing how the bandwagon of language has “stretched” the word natural to include all that is good. We oftentimes mention to our customers that many catastrophic, life-threatening, and fatal events are “natural”. We, therefore, avoid the use of that word altogether in our company and in the sale of our cosmetic products. We also have tired so much of the word “organic” in the sense that it too is overused and overworked. Your comment regard label reading and research is the most essential. So many cosmetic companies have fancy labels touting their wholesomeness until the label is turned over. Then, the truth is revealed when individual ingredients are subjected to the scrutiny of a microscope. Items such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cyanide, formaldehyde, etc., are then revealed. Again, although those are naturally occurring on our planet, they are not elements which carry with them benefits for the human being.
Excellent article. Thank you from Coastal Classic Creations.