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Joe BullinskiApril 11, 2018
DATE: April 11, 2018
TO: Robert Marini
FROM: Joe Bullinski
SUBJECT: WHAT CONSUMERS SHOULD KNOW BEFORE THEY BUY ORGANIC PRODUCTS
This report will help individuals understand organic products. Many individuals want to eat healthy but stick to a budget. The knowledge that will be gained from this report will help consumers know if organic products are worth paying extra money. This report will cover three main topics: (1) what is an organic product, (2) why organic products cost more, and (3) where you can buy organic products.
What Is Organic?
Organic is a labeling term that is used on products that have been produced through methods approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its National Organics Program (NOP) (George Mateljan Foundation). A product is considered organic if it is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, sewage sludge fertilizers, genetic engineering, growth hormones, irradiation, antibiotics, artificial ingredients and synthetic additives. The USDA has identified three categories for labeling organic products, 100% Organic, Organic and Made with Organic Ingredients (Foerstel Design).
100% Organic
100% organic means that the product was produced and processed using only organic methods and organic ingredients (excluding water and salt). These products cannot contain any ingredients from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The USDA Organic Seal is permitted on the front panel of this package. Figure 1 below shows what the USDA Organic Seal looks like. It is very difficult to make a product that is 100% organic. Most products in this category are single ingredient products (Global Organics).
Figure 1
Source: USDA
Made with between 95% to 100% Organic Ingredients
Organic means that the product was produced using only organic methods and contains a minimum of 95% organic ingredients. The other 5% of ingredients must be non-GMO (non-genetically modified organisms) and included on the National List of non-organic ingredients permitted in certified organic agriculture and processing. These products may also carry the USDA Organic Seal on the front panel if they wish. Most organic items found in stores today fall within this category (Global Organics).
Made with between 70% to 95% Organic Ingredients
Made with organic ingredients means the products contains between 70% and 95% organic ingredients. They can use the wording “made with organic …“ and list up to three ingredients or food groups on the front panel. These products cannot include the USDA Organic Seal anywhere on the package, even though the product is certified organic. The non-organic ingredients in these products must be non-GMO and produced without irradiation or sewage sludge (Global Organics).
Made with Less than 70%. Products with fewer than 70% organic ingredients or less can use the word “organic” to specify organic ingredients in the ingredient panel. These products are not permitted to have the USDA Organic Seal or make any front panel claims about organic certification (Global Organics).
Why Does Organic Cost More?
It’s kind of a myth that organic products cost more than nonorganic products. Some items may cost the same, almost the same or even less than their conventional counterparts. As the demand for organic products continues to grow, the cost is expected to drop (Foerstel Design). Below in Figure 2 is a comparison of organic and nonorganic food prices. As you can see from Figure 2, the difference in price between organic and nonorganic bananas is only 10 cents.
Figure 2
Source: Make Your Body Work
Why Organic Products Can Sometimes Be More Expensive
If you do find certain organic products you wish to purchase to be more expensive, consider these three facts:
Organic farmers don’t receive federal subsidies so the price reflects the cost of growing.
Organic farming is more labor and management intensive than conventional farming.
Organic farms are usually smaller than conventional farms and do not benefit from the economics of scale.
(Foerstel Design)
Where are Organic Products Sold?
Since 2002, when the USDA released its national standards for organic products, people all over the world have grown extremely interested in eating organic foods and using organic products. Figure 3 below shows the increase in sales, farms, acres and QAI (Quality Assurance International) Certifications from 2001 to 2011. One of the most recent trends in today’s culture is shopping at a local health food store. A health food store is a grocery store that primarily sells health foods, organic foods, local produce, and often nutritional supplements (Intuitive Minds).
Figure 3
Source: One Designs
Chain Grocery Stores
Numerous chain grocery stores offer all three categories of organic products for a reasonable price. Below is a list of different chain grocery stores.
Trader Joe’s
Aldi
Walmart
Costco
Pick N Save
Meijer
Target
(Intuitive Minds)
Health Food Stores
Health food stores offer all three categories of organic products at a more expensive price than chain grocery stores because most products are 100% organic or purchased from local merchants. Below is a list of different health food stores.
Whole Foods Market
Natural Food Shop
Outpost Natural Foods
Good Harvest Market
(Intuitive Minds)
Types of Organic Products
Most people are familiar with organic foods but almost everything comes in an organic form now. Below is a list of organic products found at both chain grocery stores and health food stores.
Fruit & Vegetables
Flour and Grains
Legumes
Nuts & Seeds
Meats & Dairy
Herbs & Spices
Juices & Energy Drinks
Frozen Foods
Canned Goods
Coffee
Baby Food
Pet Food
Chips, Crackers, Cookies & Chocolate
Health & Beauty Products
Clothing
(George Mateljan Foundation)
Conclusion/Recommendations
The consumer and environmental benefits of organic products make them worth spending the extra money. If the consumer does choose organic, many different products can be found in either chain grocery or natural food stores. When choosing organic products, you should
Carefully read labels. As the USDA has three different categories of labeling organic products, 100% Organic, Organic and Made with Organic Ingredients.
Choose 100% organic products. If the consumer can afford to spend more on products, it’s recommended they buy 100% organic.
Choose chain grocery store. If the consumer wants to buy organic products but doesn’t have the budget for expensive health food store prices choose a chain grocery store.
Works Cited
Foerstel Design. “Organic FAQ.” Organic.org – Organic FAQ. N.p., 2017. Web. 03 Apr. 2017. .
George Mateljan Foundation, The. “Everything You Need to Know About Organic Foods.” Whfoods. N.p., 2017. Web. 03 Apr. 2017. .
Global Organics. “4 Categories of Organic Product Labels.” Global Organics News & Views. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017. .
Intuitive Minds. “Milwaukee, WISCONSIN Organic Food Stores Locator – Find Your Local Organic Food Stores and Suppliers.” Milwaukee, WISCONSIN Organic Food Stores Locator – Find Your Local Organic Food Stores and Suppliers. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017. .
Make Your Body Work. “Why Eat Organic Food?” Make Your Body Work. N.p., 05 Oct. 2015. Web. 03 Apr. 2017. .
Mayo Clinic. “Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious?” Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017. .
One Designs. “Consumers Demand More Local Organic Food.” Farming 4 Change. N.p., 25 Jan. 2015. Web. 11 Apr. 2017. .
USDA. “The Organic Seal.” The Organic Seal | Agricultural Marketing Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017. .
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