food watch: does pepsi own your organic…

The US organic market remains on track for strong growth over the next five years…report by Mintel, which claims that the increased availability of organic foods through mainstream channels is set to change the playing field…the report values the organic food market at an estimated $3.6bn in 2006, more than double the $1.5bn market of 2001. And between 2006-2011, …the sector will see a 44 percent increase in constant prices, headed by strong demand for organic fruits and vegetables and prepared foods.(read more)

so the integrity of the term “organic” is slowly being eroded by big business. in the movement to capitalize off a growing consumer health and eco-consciousness, food corporations are investing, lobbying and shopping in the “organic” market. the “organic industry food structure” chart to the left –created by public health advocate and msu professor, phil howard -shows which food biz giants are buying out your favorite organic food makers, on the low. big food corporations acquire “organic food” companies and no one’s the wiser. i was wondering why the appearance of the rice dream carton and the color and consistency of the milk had been changed so many times in the past year and a half! i thought they were just making more money and stepping up their marketing game. that wasn’t all: they got bought out! (<–press release) food giants encourage the use of synthetic pesticides and other nature altering chemical agents to expedite crop growth, streamline food production and increase profits. these chemicals not only have a detrimental effect on the environment, but are harmful for the human body. many of these chemicals are well known to cause cancer but are still approved by regulating organizations for commercial usage. although the organic food production act of 1995 set the tone for nationally standardizing the term “organic”, meticulous caution should be taken because the terms “natural”, “organic”, “certified organic”, “made with organic ingredients”, “100% organic”, and “free-range” have very different and distinct definitions. the branch of the usda that mandates organic certifications -the national organic program or nop – breaks it down here (click the picture above). the whole purpose of going organic is to eat healthy and avoid the vicious cycle but with big food corporations like heinz and coca cola buying companies like west soy and odwalla we see that nothing’s sacred. even the coveted rice dream rice milk and vegan ice cream desserts are “sleeping with the enemy.” well it’s back to soaking, blending and straining nut milk. (nite*vision makes a mean hazelnut milk with agave nectar. bangin’!) there’s some more tid-bits, but be sure to click on the links for more information. other good sources on this topic are from: grocery store wars, organic trade association

“Once you have Kraft marketing an organic product, albeit through another brand, you really can’t be more part of the mainstream than that,” said Don Montuori, editor of Packaged Facts, an industry publication. MSNBC

“U.S. organic food sales totaled nearly $17 billion in 2006, up 22 percent over the previous year, according to preliminary findings from the Organic Trade Association’s 2007 Manufacturers Survey. In the U.S., organic foods’ share of total retail sales of food and beverages was up to about 3 percent, up from 1.9 percent in 2003 and approximately 2.5 percent in 2005.” treehugger.com

With sales of roughly $12 billion, organic food remains a niche market within the $500 billion food industry. But the sector’s growing appeal to consumers has fueled a 20 percent annual growth rate in recent years, making it highly attractive to food giants looking for gains in a slow-moving business. NYTimes

The Evolution of Rice Dream Packaging

~ by blactivegan on March 9, 2008.