Whole Foods, in their 275 stores, charges organic prices alright for their organic food, but it turns out plenty of this produce is Made in China.
What kind of organic standards are being met there? Is it consistent? According to this story by ABC News, it is at best highly suspect and at worst a total scam.
Obviously, it is better to buy local produce for so many other reasons: the much lower carbon footprint, the fact that you're supporting local farms, eating what is in season - we know all this very well!
However, sometimes you might opt to shop at Whole Foods when no local produce is available. So here is information from both sides- now you be the judge.
So as to give voice to both sides, here is the response from Whole Foods to this news story, written by Joe Dickson, Organic Certification Coordinator for Whole Foods Market, posted on their website (http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/whole-foods-market-responds-to-wjla/)
"Organic products from China can absolutely be certified organic to the exact same standard as domestic products. While China has had a number of food quality issues in the news in the past year, it does not mean everything grown in the entire country is unsafe. Since 2002, the USDA's National Organic Standards have governed exactly what can be sold as organic in the US -- how it's grown, processed and handled -- regardless of where in the world it's grown, INCLUDING China. Organic integrity is ensured every step of the way. For example, a broccoli grower in China must be visited and certified to the USDA organic standards by a certifying agent that is approved and supervised by the USDA. If that broccoli is processed in a packaging plant, that plant must also be visited and certified by a certifying agent, who verifies that the handling and ingredients of the product comply with the standard. This structure is the backbone of organic integrity under the USDA organic standard -- everyone who grows or handles organic food must be certified and audited by a USDA-accredited certifier. The USDA then provides audits and oversight of the certifiers to ensure that they are enforcing the standard and upholding organic integrity."
Your choice -- but you should know that "Organic" does NOT necessarily mean "Local" at Whole Foods. Read the fine print!
The carbon footprint of centralized food distribution is actually much lower than buying "locally"
ReplyDeleteidiot you are an idiot! By that statement, you are one! I learned of Whole Foods practices a long time ago. I had a cousin and sister that worked at one of there stores. Made in China tells me it is not safe at all for consumption! Ever notice the prices in Whole Foods? Incredibly high! Americans would be wise to stay far away from shoping inside there stores!
ReplyDeletelol, troll'd
ReplyDeleteWHOLE FOODS...
ReplyDeleteWe don't stop at "required," we aim higher.
In keeping with our commitment to quality, we instituted Country of Origin (COO) policies before they were required by the government.
Regulations have been passed and will be implemented on Sept 30, 2008, which will impact labeling requirements for certain products and will give our customers even more transparency in terms of where products come from. We take a progressive approach on "Country of Origin Labeling." We are ahead of the regulations and many of our products have already been labeled to identify country of origin because our customers expect that from us.
No matter where a product originates, all organic products that we carry must meet strict USDA organic certification, as well as our own Quality Standards.
A USDA approved certifying agent works with the producer on both growing and manufacturing processes to insure the organic integrity of their product.
Quality Assurance International (QAI) works on our behalf with that certifier to make sure that all of their procedures are in accordance with the USDA standard.
No matter where a product is grown the same USDA standard is used to evaluate suppliers. Organic standards in China are no different than they are in Brazil, Turkey, Thailand or anywhere else.
Any product that is going to be sold as organic in the U.S. must be audited by a USDA-accredited certifier. For example, the Chinese government does not certify U.S.-bound organic product in China. That certification is done by USDA-accredited certifiers in China who are themselves reviewed, approved and accredited directly by the USDA.
We only discriminate when it comes to quality and taste, not country of origin.
Whole Foods Market continues to buy from China because we believe in supporting farmers that provide high quality products.
Our strategy is not to run away from our Chinese suppliers, but to take a stand and get closer to our suppliers. We will continue to improve on the audit and testing procedures that are already in place.
Organic farming has a long history in China.
Our strategy is to build long term partnerships with our Chinese suppliers.
We are confident in the quality and integrity of our products from all countries, including China.
As the world population grows, we are going to be forced to look at our supply chains and develop emerging organic suppliers all over the world.
The steps we are taking now will assure the long term quality of our supply as we look beyond the United States for organic food solutions.