Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla?

[Guest guest]

this article is in no way vegan

but i think folks who eat " organic " or supoosedly organic should know where

there stuff comes from

buy local...get from farmers markets whenever possible...........

 

its sorta sad that all the natural grovery stores around here stock lots of

odwalla, and often run out of columbia gorge organic juices...

 

 

Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla?

 

By Vanessa Barrington, EcoSalon. Posted November 2, 2009.

 

 

Over the past decade many small organic food brands have been snapped

up by giant corporations. Clearly, this can be bad for standards and

quality.

 

 

I’ll never forget the time I first tried an Odwalla tangerine juice.

It was back when tangerine juice was a seasonal offering, during a

short window of time in January and February.

 

I’d just finished a long uphill walk on an unusually warm winter day

in San Francisco, and that bottle of juice was manna for my thirsty

body.

 

Then Coke bought Odwalla and seasonality went out the window, along

with the pure natural taste of unadulterated juice. Now, if you could

find a plain Odwalla tangerine juice not all dolled up with some

“functional†additive, you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish it from

generic orange juice.

 

It’s no secret that there’s been consolidation in the organic and

natural foods industry over the past decade or so. And clearly,

consolidation can be bad for standards and quality.

 

These Who Owns Organics? charts have been passed around The Internet

for years. Most people are shocked the first time they see them

(Hershey’s owns Dagoba?).

 

Organics have always been big money, even in a recession. This

attracts well-capitalized companies who want to invest, and who can

blame them?

 

Mega packaged food companies and investor groups buy successful

organic brands that were started by visionaries who began the

companies with a commitment to the organic ideal of family farms, a

clean environment, and simple food without additives. But often, when

the big companies buy in, this ideal flies out the window.

 

I’ve chosen ten of the more prominent organic and natural brands to

survey. I’m comparing the stories they tell their customers to the

likely (and often proven) reality, based on who owns them.

 

I purposely put all of the prominent, still-independent brands in this

list because I want to tell their stories. But this isn’t a story

about small vs. big, small being good and big being bad.

 

All the independents listed below are big companies, but they have the

ability to uphold higher standards and work within their missions

because they aren’t beholden to the intense scrutiny of the money

managers.

 

Just for fun, can you guess which ones they are?

 

Amy’s

Amy’s Kitchen is the real deal. Named after the actual daughter of the

company’s founders, Amy’s mission was to create a line of vegetarian

food products for busy families that would be healthier than typical

convenience, frozen, and packaged foods. Started in Petaluma, Ca., the

company remains an independent, family-run business to this day and

Amy herself blogs about her life as a college student (including her

organic agriculture classes at Stanford). The company headquarters is

still in Petaluma where the founders live. All Amy’s foods are

vegetarian, but not all are organic. I get a kick out of looking at

the old photos of the early days on the company website. I try to cook

everything from scratch, but if I’m going to eat a frozen meal, make

mine Amy’s!

 

Arrowhead Mills

Owned by Hain-Celestial, which also owns many other natural and

organics brands. The good thing about Hain-owned brands is that they

don’t generally try to fool their customers. They come right out and

say it. The story on Arrowhead’s website is a folksy one about founder

Fred Ford in the Texas panhandle, but it clearly states when the

company was purchased by Hain. The other good thing about Hain is they

specialize in natural and organic foods, so I feel a bit better about

buying their brands. But Hain is also partially owned by Heinz, so

that’s the reality.

 

I like Arrowhead because their product line is not processed. They

sell mostly whole grains, beans, and nut butters (high quality ones at

that). I do wonder where they source their raw ingredients, especially

with this line: “bringing deliciously wholesome choices from America’s

Heartland to your table.†Though it may not be, that line sounds like

pure marketing to me. It’s true that many of these crops can be more

cheaply grown in China and I’m not saying that Arrowhead sources from

China. I can’t find any evidence of it (or that they buy from anywhere

outside the US), but then again, their website and none of the product

packages I surveyed for this article state country of origin

information. Your guess is as good as mine.

 

Cascadian Farms

If they have to tell you it’s a real place, there’s something not

quite right. Oh, and General Mills owns Cascadian Farms. Founder Gene

Kahn was featured in the excellent book, Organic, Inc. defending

himself against those who would say that he sold out. General Mills

also owns Muir Glen and Small Planet Foods, both of which are

mentioned on Cascadian Farms’ website, while General Mills is not.

General Mills is one of the largest packaged food companies in the

world and has a joint operating agreement with Nestle. In the fourth

quarter of 2009, General Mills posted revenues of $3.646 billion. Not

that there’s anything wrong with it, but it sort of brings the

pastoral image into question.

 

Eden

If you guessed Eden Foods as one of the independents, you guessed

right. In this fantastic article the founder of the company tells his

story about fending off the advances of multiple large corporations.

Why? Because he wanted to run the company his way, with careful

attention to the quality of the product and sustainability practices.

Eden is probably my favorite organic food company, mostly for being

pioneers in BPA-free cans. (Except for the tomatoes, for which they

are looking for an option). According to the company’s website, they

process their soybeans without toxic chemicals. All Eden soy products

are made from multi-tested GEO free, USA family farm organically grown

soybeans, with no refined sugar and no synthetic processing aids. They

do not add isoflavone supplements or soy protein isolate. All of the

above questionable additives and practices are routine in the

industry. Plus, they employ people in Detroit, one of the country’s

most economically distressed areas. What’s not to like?

 

Horizon

I’m not sure what the giggling children on the Horizon website have to

do with organic milk, in fact, I’m not sure what Horizon has to do

with organic milk either. The company is owned by Dean Foods, a huge

conglomerate that is said to be in control up to 90% of the milk

market in many states. The company has reported record profits this

year as dairy farmers all over the country have gone under. The

company is currently being sued by farmers and also being investigated

by the Justice Department for monopolistic practices. In other news,

Horizon has long been accused of selling “fake organic†milk by the

Cornucopia Institute. Enough said.

 

Nature’s Path

I was surprised and delighted when I found out that this Canadian

company is still family owned, because I like their products. The son

of an ecologically-minded organic farmer, founder Arran Stephens

believes in not expanding the company beyond the point where he can

personally run it. The company does a lot to support organic farming,

packages their products as sustainably as possible, and engages in

many green business practices. While I don’t usually eat packaged

cereal, if I were going to, I’d buy Nature’s Path over any other

brand. There’s some interesting reading on their website about the

family and company origins. At first glance the site looks like it was

developed as a homey, “real†brand by a team of corporate image

experts, but then you read the content and it’s too personal to be

branding. So refreshing.

 

Newman’s Own Organics

Privately owned by Nell Newman, this company is an offshoot of the

original Newman’s Own company, started by Paul Newman. They make tasty

snack foods that are less bad for you than the chemical laden non-

organic foods, but they are still snack foods and should be used

sparingly in favor of real, cooked from scratch food. The company is

very transparent about the ingredients in their products. Although the

original Newman’s Own company gives tons of money to progressive

charities, I don’t see this as part of the Newman’s Own Organics

branding.

 

Organic Valley

Organic Valley is a true cooperative of family farms, meaning all

farms that sign on share in the management and the profits. The

company is involved in advancing the organic movement through

organizations like Rodale Institute. Their website is very

interactive. You’ll find various community pages and a cool little

calculator that lets users figure out how many pounds of synthetic

nitrogen, pesticides and fertilizers they’ve prevented from being

released into the soil, air, and water through buying Organic Valley

products. I buy my dairy products from local-regional suppliers, but

if I’m in a big national grocery chain store and I have a choice

between the store brand, Horizon, or Organic Valley, I’ll always

choose Organic Valley.

 

Stonyfield

Depending on whom you ask, founder and CEO Gary Hirshberg of

Stonyfield Farm is a sell out or a visionary. French company Groupe

Danone bought a huge ownership stake in the company, but Hirshberg is

still CEO. Critics charge that companies like Stonyfield dumb down

organics by engaging in questionable sourcing. A few years ago when

the demand for organic milk outstripped supply, Stonyfield was under

fire for buying powdered milk from New Zealand and shipping it here to

make yogurt. This year, Stonyfield got into trouble with organic

farmers because when demand for organic milk went down and the big

companies (like Hood, Stonyfield and Horizon) stopped buying or

lowered the prices paid farmers, dairy farmers were left holding the

bag.

 

White Wave – Silk

White Wave, the company that makes Silk Soymilk, was once thought of

as one of the most exemplary companies in the organic business. When

Dean Foods bought the company in 2002 things slowly started changing.

They introduced new flavors made with non-organic soybeans, and this

year they did something unforgivable to many. They sneakily changed

all the Silk soymilk products to natural from organic. They didn’t

change the packaging, UPC codes or prices and they didn’t inform

consumers or their grocery customers. All they did was very, very

quietly change the word “organic†to “natural†on the front of the

package. But then what do you expect from Dean Foods? See above.

 

People buy organic and natural foods for many reasons: their own

personal health, the health of the planet, matters of taste and the

desire to support family farms. When faced with the dizzying array of

choices on the shelves, it’s satisfying to look behind the marketing

hoopla and choose the products that are most likely to align with your

own personal values.

 

 

 

 

 

You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sending that. Just the other day I was looking at soymilk and I noticed that Silk had 2 products side by side. There was the regular looking carton and then next to it was a different looking carton tha saidt Silk on it, but also said organic. I really did a double take, because I had always thought that their product was organic any way. Oh yes, and the price was higher on the organic one.Patricia--- On Mon, 11/2/09, fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:fraggle <EBbrewpunx Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla?"vegan chat" ,

"vegan-network" <vegan-network >Monday, November 2, 2009, 8:54 AMthis article is in no way veganbut i think folks who eat "organic" or supoosedly organic should know where there stuff comes frombuy local...get from farmers markets whenever possible...........its sorta sad that all the natural grovery stores around here stock lots of odwalla, and often run out of columbia gorge organic juices...Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla?By Vanessa Barrington, EcoSalon. Posted November 2, 2009.Over the past decade many small organic food brands have been snappedup by giant corporations. Clearly, this can be bad for standards andquality.I’ll never forget the time I first tried an Odwalla tangerine juice.It was back when tangerine juice was a seasonal offering, during ashort window of time in January

and February.I’d just finished a long uphill walk on an unusually warm winter dayin San Francisco, and that bottle of juice was manna for my thirstybody.Then Coke bought Odwalla and seasonality went out the window, alongwith the pure natural taste of unadulterated juice. Now, if you couldfind a plain Odwalla tangerine juice not all dolled up with some“functional†additive, you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish it fromgeneric orange juice.It’s no secret that there’s been consolidation in the organic andnatural foods industry over the past decade or so. And clearly,consolidation can be bad for standards and quality.These Who Owns Organics? charts have been passed around The Internetfor years. Most people are shocked the first time they see them(Hershey’s owns Dagoba?).Organics have always been big money, even in a recession. Thisattracts well-capitalized

companies who want to invest, and who canblame them?Mega packaged food companies and investor groups buy successfulorganic brands that were started by visionaries who began thecompanies with a commitment to the organic ideal of family farms, aclean environment, and simple food without additives. But often, whenthe big companies buy in, this ideal flies out the window.I’ve chosen ten of the more prominent organic and natural brands tosurvey. I’m comparing the stories they tell their customers to thelikely (and often proven) reality, based on who owns them.I purposely put all of the prominent, still-independent brands in thislist because I want to tell their stories. But this isn’t a storyabout small vs. big, small being good and big being bad.All the independents listed below are big companies, but they have theability to uphold higher standards and work within their

missionsbecause they aren’t beholden to the intense scrutiny of the moneymanagers.Just for fun, can you guess which ones they are?Amy’sAmy’s Kitchen is the real deal. Named after the actual daughter of thecompany’s founders, Amy’s mission was to create a line of vegetarianfood products for busy families that would be healthier than typicalconvenience, frozen, and packaged foods. Started in Petaluma, Ca., thecompany remains an independent, family-run business to this day andAmy herself blogs about her life as a college student (including herorganic agriculture classes at Stanford). The company headquarters isstill in Petaluma where the founders live. All Amy’s foods arevegetarian, but not all are organic. I get a kick out of looking atthe old photos of the early days on the company website. I try to cookeverything from scratch, but if I’m going to eat a frozen meal,

makemine Amy’s!Arrowhead MillsOwned by Hain-Celestial, which also owns many other natural andorganics brands. The good thing about Hain-owned brands is that theydon’t generally try to fool their customers. They come right out andsay it. The story on Arrowhead’s website is a folksy one about founderFred Ford in the Texas panhandle, but it clearly states when thecompany was purchased by Hain. The other good thing about Hain is theyspecialize in natural and organic foods, so I feel a bit better aboutbuying their brands. But Hain is also partially owned by Heinz, sothat’s the reality.I like Arrowhead because their product line is not processed. Theysell mostly whole grains, beans, and nut butters (high quality ones atthat). I do wonder where they source their raw ingredients, especiallywith this line: “bringing deliciously wholesome choices from America’sHeartland to your

table.†Though it may not be, that line sounds likepure marketing to me. It’s true that many of these crops can be morecheaply grown in China and I’m not saying that Arrowhead sources fromChina. I can’t find any evidence of it (or that they buy from anywhereoutside the US), but then again, their website and none of the productpackages I surveyed for this article state country of origininformation. Your guess is as good as mine.Cascadian FarmsIf they have to tell you it’s a real place, there’s something notquite right. Oh, and General Mills owns Cascadian Farms. Founder GeneKahn was featured in the excellent book, Organic, Inc. defendinghimself against those who would say that he sold out. General Millsalso owns Muir Glen and Small Planet Foods, both of which arementioned on Cascadian Farms’ website, while General Mills is not.General Mills is one of the largest packaged food

companies in theworld and has a joint operating agreement with Nestle. In the fourthquarter of 2009, General Mills posted revenues of $3.646 billion. Notthat there’s anything wrong with it, but it sort of brings thepastoral image into question.EdenIf you guessed Eden Foods as one of the independents, you guessedright. In this fantastic article the founder of the company tells hisstory about fending off the advances of multiple large corporations.Why? Because he wanted to run the company his way, with carefulattention to the quality of the product and sustainability practices.Eden is probably my favorite organic food company, mostly for beingpioneers in BPA-free cans. (Except for the tomatoes, for which theyare looking for an option). According to the company’s website, theyprocess their soybeans without toxic chemicals. All Eden soy productsare made from multi-tested GEO free, USA

family farm organically grownsoybeans, with no refined sugar and no synthetic processing aids. Theydo not add isoflavone supplements or soy protein isolate. All of theabove questionable additives and practices are routine in theindustry. Plus, they employ people in Detroit, one of the country’smost economically distressed areas. What’s not to like?HorizonI’m not sure what the giggling children on the Horizon website have todo with organic milk, in fact, I’m not sure what Horizon has to dowith organic milk either. The company is owned by Dean Foods, a hugeconglomerate that is said to be in control up to 90% of the milkmarket in many states. The company has reported record profits thisyear as dairy farmers all over the country have gone under. Thecompany is currently being sued by farmers and also being investigatedby the Justice Department for monopolistic practices. In other

news,Horizon has long been accused of selling “fake organic†milk by theCornucopia Institute. Enough said.Nature’s PathI was surprised and delighted when I found out that this Canadiancompany is still family owned, because I like their products. The sonof an ecologically-minded organic farmer, founder Arran Stephensbelieves in not expanding the company beyond the point where he canpersonally run it. The company does a lot to support organic farming,packages their products as sustainably as possible, and engages inmany green business practices. While I don’t usually eat packagedcereal, if I were going to, I’d buy Nature’s Path over any otherbrand. There’s some interesting reading on their website about thefamily and company origins. At first glance the site looks like it wasdeveloped as a homey, “real†brand by a team of corporate imageexperts, but then you read the content

and it’s too personal to bebranding. So refreshing.Newman’s Own OrganicsPrivately owned by Nell Newman, this company is an offshoot of theoriginal Newman’s Own company, started by Paul Newman. They make tastysnack foods that are less bad for you than the chemical laden non-organic foods, but they are still snack foods and should be usedsparingly in favor of real, cooked from scratch food. The company isvery transparent about the ingredients in their products. Although theoriginal Newman’s Own company gives tons of money to progressivecharities, I don’t see this as part of the Newman’s Own Organicsbranding.Organic ValleyOrganic Valley is a true cooperative of family farms, meaning allfarms that sign on share in the management and the profits. Thecompany is involved in advancing the organic movement throughorganizations like Rodale Institute. Their website is

veryinteractive. You’ll find various community pages and a cool littlecalculator that lets users figure out how many pounds of syntheticnitrogen, pesticides and fertilizers they’ve prevented from beingreleased into the soil, air, and water through buying Organic Valleyproducts. I buy my dairy products from local-regional suppliers, butif I’m in a big national grocery chain store and I have a choicebetween the store brand, Horizon, or Organic Valley, I’ll alwayschoose Organic Valley.StonyfieldDepending on whom you ask, founder and CEO Gary Hirshberg ofStonyfield Farm is a sell out or a visionary. French company GroupeDanone bought a huge ownership stake in the company, but Hirshberg isstill CEO. Critics charge that companies like Stonyfield dumb downorganics by engaging in questionable sourcing. A few years ago whenthe demand for organic milk outstripped supply, Stonyfield was

underfire for buying powdered milk from New Zealand and shipping it here tomake yogurt. This year, Stonyfield got into trouble with organicfarmers because when demand for organic milk went down and the bigcompanies (like Hood, Stonyfield and Horizon) stopped buying orlowered the prices paid farmers, dairy farmers were left holding thebag.White Wave – SilkWhite Wave, the company that makes Silk Soymilk, was once thought ofas one of the most exemplary companies in the organic business. WhenDean Foods bought the company in 2002 things slowly started changing.They introduced new flavors made with non-organic soybeans, and thisyear they did something unforgivable to many. They sneakily changedall the Silk soymilk products to natural from organic. They didn’tchange the packaging, UPC codes or prices and they didn’t informconsumers or their grocery customers. All they did was very,

veryquietly change the word “organic†to “natural†on the front of thepackage. But then what do you expect from Dean Foods? See above.People buy organic and natural foods for many reasons: their ownpersonal health, the health of the planet, matters of taste and thedesire to support family farms. When faced with the dizzying array ofchoices on the shelves, it’s satisfying to look behind the marketinghoopla and choose the products that are most likely to align with yourown personal values.You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!---To send an email to -! Groups Links<*>

/<*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional<*> To change settings online go to: /join ( ID required)<*> To change settings via email: -digest -fullfeatured <*>

[Guest guest]

Great article!

 

I like Amy's roasted veg pizza (when it's on sale). When I was

driving through the Texas panhandle one summer, where the stench of

manure piles from huge livestock confinement operations was so bad

that I closed the windows (in a car with no air conditioning or fan),

I saw a sign for the Arrowhead Mills store. I could not believe they

were located in the middle of this -- or that actual food could come

from this area.

 

I'm still mourning White Wave.

 

At 11:54 AM -0500 11/2/09, fraggle wrote:

>this article is in no way vegan

>but i think folks who eat " organic " or supoosedly organic should

>know where there stuff comes from

>buy local...get from farmers markets whenever possible...........

>

 

>Amy's

>Amy's Kitchen is the real deal. Named after the actual daughter of the

>company's founders, Amy's mission was to create a line of vegetarian

>food products for busy families that would be healthier than typical

>convenience, frozen, and packaged foods. Started in Petaluma, Ca., the

>company remains an independent, family-run business to this day and

>Amy herself blogs about her life as a college student (including her

>organic agriculture classes at Stanford). The company headquarters is

>still in Petaluma where the founders live. All Amy's foods are

>vegetarian, but not all are organic. I get a kick out of looking at

>the old photos of the early days on the company website. I try to cook

>everything from scratch, but if I'm going to eat a frozen meal, make

>mine Amy's!

>

>Arrowhead Mills

>Owned by Hain-Celestial, which also owns many other natural and

>organics brands. The good thing about Hain-owned brands is that they

>don't generally try to fool their customers. They come right out and

>say it. The story on Arrowhead's website is a folksy one about founder

>Fred Ford in the Texas panhandle, but it clearly states when the

>company was purchased by Hain. The other good thing about Hain is they

>specialize in natural and organic foods, so I feel a bit better about

>buying their brands. But Hain is also partially owned by Heinz, so

>that's the reality.

>

>I like Arrowhead because their product line is not processed. They

>sell mostly whole grains, beans, and nut butters (high quality ones at

>that). I do wonder where they source their raw ingredients, especially

>with this line: " bringing deliciously wholesome choices from America's

>Heartland to your table. " Though it may not be, that line sounds like

>pure marketing to me. It's true that many of these crops can be more

>cheaply grown in China and I'm not saying that Arrowhead sources from

>China. I can't find any evidence of it (or that they buy from anywhere

>outside the US), but then again, their website and none of the product

>packages I surveyed for this article state country of origin

>information. Your guess is as good as mine.

>

>Cascadian Farms

>If they have to tell you it's a real place, there's something not

>quite right. Oh, and General Mills owns Cascadian Farms. Founder Gene

>Kahn was featured in the excellent book, Organic, Inc. defending

>himself against those who would say that he sold out. General Mills

>also owns Muir Glen and Small Planet Foods, both of which are

>mentioned on Cascadian Farms' website, while General Mills is not.

>General Mills is one of the largest packaged food companies in the

>world and has a joint operating agreement with Nestle. In the fourth

>quarter of 2009, General Mills posted revenues of $3.646 billion. Not

>that there's anything wrong with it, but it sort of brings the

>pastoral image into question.

>

>Eden

>If you guessed Eden Foods as one of the independents, you guessed

>right. In this fantastic article the founder of the company tells his

>story about fending off the advances of multiple large corporations.

>Why? Because he wanted to run the company his way, with careful

>attention to the quality of the product and sustainability practices.

>Eden is probably my favorite organic food company, mostly for being

>pioneers in BPA-free cans. (Except for the tomatoes, for which they

>are looking for an option). According to the company's website, they

>process their soybeans without toxic chemicals. All Eden soy products

>are made from multi-tested GEO free, USA family farm organically grown

>soybeans, with no refined sugar and no synthetic processing aids. They

>do not add isoflavone supplements or soy protein isolate. All of the

>above questionable additives and practices are routine in the

>industry. Plus, they employ people in Detroit, one of the country's

>most economically distressed areas. What's not to like?

>

>Horizon

>I'm not sure what the giggling children on the Horizon website have to

>do with organic milk, in fact, I'm not sure what Horizon has to do

>with organic milk either. The company is owned by Dean Foods, a huge

>conglomerate that is said to be in control up to 90% of the milk

>market in many states. The company has reported record profits this

>year as dairy farmers all over the country have gone under. The

>company is currently being sued by farmers and also being investigated

>by the Justice Department for monopolistic practices. In other news,

>Horizon has long been accused of selling " fake organic " milk by the

>Cornucopia Institute. Enough said.

>

>Nature's Path

>I was surprised and delighted when I found out that this Canadian

>company is still family owned, because I like their products. The son

>of an ecologically-minded organic farmer, founder Arran Stephens

>believes in not expanding the company beyond the point where he can

>personally run it. The company does a lot to support organic farming,

>packages their products as sustainably as possible, and engages in

>many green business practices. While I don't usually eat packaged

>cereal, if I were going to, I'd buy Nature's Path over any other

>brand. There's some interesting reading on their website about the

>family and company origins. At first glance the site looks like it was

>developed as a homey, " real " brand by a team of corporate image

>experts, but then you read the content and it's too personal to be

>branding. So refreshing.

>

>Newman's Own Organics

>Privately owned by Nell Newman, this company is an offshoot of the

>original Newman's Own company, started by Paul Newman. They make tasty

>snack foods that are less bad for you than the chemical laden non-

>organic foods, but they are still snack foods and should be used

>sparingly in favor of real, cooked from scratch food. The company is

>very transparent about the ingredients in their products. Although the

>original Newman's Own company gives tons of money to progressive

>charities, I don't see this as part of the Newman's Own Organics

>branding.

>

>Organic Valley

>Organic Valley is a true cooperative of family farms, meaning all

>farms that sign on share in the management and the profits. The

>company is involved in advancing the organic movement through

>organizations like Rodale Institute. Their website is very

>interactive. You'll find various community pages and a cool little

>calculator that lets users figure out how many pounds of synthetic

>nitrogen, pesticides and fertilizers they've prevented from being

>released into the soil, air, and water through buying Organic Valley

>products. I buy my dairy products from local-regional suppliers, but

>if I'm in a big national grocery chain store and I have a choice

>between the store brand, Horizon, or Organic Valley, I'll always

>choose Organic Valley.

>

>Stonyfield

>Depending on whom you ask, founder and CEO Gary Hirshberg of

>Stonyfield Farm is a sell out or a visionary. French company Groupe

>Danone bought a huge ownership stake in the company, but Hirshberg is

>still CEO. Critics charge that companies like Stonyfield dumb down

>organics by engaging in questionable sourcing. A few years ago when

>the demand for organic milk outstripped supply, Stonyfield was under

>fire for buying powdered milk from New Zealand and shipping it here to

>make yogurt. This year, Stonyfield got into trouble with organic

>farmers because when demand for organic milk went down and the big

>companies (like Hood, Stonyfield and Horizon) stopped buying or

>lowered the prices paid farmers, dairy farmers were left holding the

>bag.

>

>White Wave - Silk

>White Wave, the company that makes Silk Soymilk, was once thought of

>as one of the most exemplary companies in the organic business. When

>Dean Foods bought the company in 2002 things slowly started changing.

>They introduced new flavors made with non-organic soybeans, and this

>year they did something unforgivable to many. They sneakily changed

>all the Silk soymilk products to natural from organic. They didn't

>change the packaging, UPC codes or prices and they didn't inform

>consumers or their grocery customers. All they did was very, very

>quietly change the word " organic " to " natural " on the front of the

>package. But then what do you expect from Dean Foods? See above.

>

>People buy organic and natural foods for many reasons: their own

>personal health, the health of the planet, matters of taste and the

>desire to support family farms. When faced with the dizzying array of

>choices on the shelves, it's satisfying to look behind the marketing

>hoopla and choose the products that are most likely to align with your

>own personal values.

>

>

>

>

>

>You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!

>

>

>---

>

>To send an email to

>-! Groups Links

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Does anyone know what happened to Mori Nu tofu? It's very hard to find.Patricia--- On Wed, 11/4/09, yarrow <yarrow wrote:yarrow <yarrowRe: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla? Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 12:15 AMGreat article!I like Amy's roasted veg pizza (when it's on sale). When I was driving through the Texas panhandle one summer, where the stench of manure piles from huge livestock confinement operations was so bad that I closed the windows (in a car with no air

conditioning or fan), I saw a sign for the Arrowhead Mills store. I could not believe they were located in the middle of this -- or that actual food could come from this area.I'm still mourning White Wave.At 11:54 AM -0500 11/2/09, fraggle wrote:>this article is in no way vegan>but i think folks who eat "organic" or supoosedly organic should >know where there stuff comes from>buy local...get from farmers markets whenever possible...........>>Amy's>Amy's Kitchen is the real deal. Named after the actual daughter of the>company's founders, Amy's mission was to create a line of vegetarian>food products for busy families that would be healthier than typical>convenience, frozen, and packaged foods. Started in Petaluma, Ca., the>company remains an independent, family-run business to this day and>Amy herself blogs about her life as a college

student (including her>organic agriculture classes at Stanford). The company headquarters is>still in Petaluma where the founders live. All Amy's foods are>vegetarian, but not all are organic. I get a kick out of looking at>the old photos of the early days on the company website. I try to cook>everything from scratch, but if I'm going to eat a frozen meal, make>mine Amy's!>>Arrowhead Mills>Owned by Hain-Celestial, which also owns many other natural and>organics brands. The good thing about Hain-owned brands is that they>don't generally try to fool their customers. They come right out and>say it. The story on Arrowhead's website is a folksy one about founder>Fred Ford in the Texas panhandle, but it clearly states when the>company was purchased by Hain. The other good thing about Hain is they>specialize in natural and organic foods, so I feel a bit

better about>buying their brands. But Hain is also partially owned by Heinz, so>that's the reality.>>I like Arrowhead because their product line is not processed. They>sell mostly whole grains, beans, and nut butters (high quality ones at>that). I do wonder where they source their raw ingredients, especially>with this line: "bringing deliciously wholesome choices from America's>Heartland to your table." Though it may not be, that line sounds like>pure marketing to me. It's true that many of these crops can be more>cheaply grown in China and I'm not saying that Arrowhead sources from>China. I can't find any evidence of it (or that they buy from anywhere>outside the US), but then again, their website and none of the product>packages I surveyed for this article state country of origin>information. Your guess is as good as mine.>>Cascadian

Farms>If they have to tell you it's a real place, there's something not>quite right. Oh, and General Mills owns Cascadian Farms. Founder Gene>Kahn was featured in the excellent book, Organic, Inc. defending>himself against those who would say that he sold out. General Mills>also owns Muir Glen and Small Planet Foods, both of which are>mentioned on Cascadian Farms' website, while General Mills is not.>General Mills is one of the largest packaged food companies in the>world and has a joint operating agreement with Nestle. In the fourth>quarter of 2009, General Mills posted revenues of $3.646 billion. Not>that there's anything wrong with it, but it sort of brings the>pastoral image into question.>>Eden>If you guessed Eden Foods as one of the independents, you guessed>right. In this fantastic article the founder of the company tells his>story

about fending off the advances of multiple large corporations.>Why? Because he wanted to run the company his way, with careful>attention to the quality of the product and sustainability practices.>Eden is probably my favorite organic food company, mostly for being>pioneers in BPA-free cans. (Except for the tomatoes, for which they>are looking for an option). According to the company's website, they>process their soybeans without toxic chemicals. All Eden soy products>are made from multi-tested GEO free, USA family farm organically grown>soybeans, with no refined sugar and no synthetic processing aids. They>do not add isoflavone supplements or soy protein isolate. All of the>above questionable additives and practices are routine in the>industry. Plus, they employ people in Detroit, one of the country's>most economically distressed areas. What's not to

like?>>Horizon>I'm not sure what the giggling children on the Horizon website have to>do with organic milk, in fact, I'm not sure what Horizon has to do>with organic milk either. The company is owned by Dean Foods, a huge>conglomerate that is said to be in control up to 90% of the milk>market in many states. The company has reported record profits this>year as dairy farmers all over the country have gone under. The>company is currently being sued by farmers and also being investigated>by the Justice Department for monopolistic practices. In other news,>Horizon has long been accused of selling "fake organic" milk by the>Cornucopia Institute. Enough said.>>Nature's Path>I was surprised and delighted when I found out that this Canadian>company is still family owned, because I like their products. The son>of an ecologically-minded organic

farmer, founder Arran Stephens>believes in not expanding the company beyond the point where he can>personally run it. The company does a lot to support organic farming,>packages their products as sustainably as possible, and engages in>many green business practices. While I don't usually eat packaged>cereal, if I were going to, I'd buy Nature's Path over any other>brand. There's some interesting reading on their website about the>family and company origins. At first glance the site looks like it was>developed as a homey, "real" brand by a team of corporate image>experts, but then you read the content and it's too personal to be>branding. So refreshing.>>Newman's Own Organics>Privately owned by Nell Newman, this company is an offshoot of the>original Newman's Own company, started by Paul Newman. They make tasty>snack foods that are less bad for you

than the chemical laden non->organic foods, but they are still snack foods and should be used>sparingly in favor of real, cooked from scratch food. The company is>very transparent about the ingredients in their products. Although the>original Newman's Own company gives tons of money to progressive>charities, I don't see this as part of the Newman's Own Organics>branding.>>Organic Valley>Organic Valley is a true cooperative of family farms, meaning all>farms that sign on share in the management and the profits. The>company is involved in advancing the organic movement through>organizations like Rodale Institute. Their website is very>interactive. You'll find various community pages and a cool little>calculator that lets users figure out how many pounds of synthetic>nitrogen, pesticides and fertilizers they've prevented from being>released into

the soil, air, and water through buying Organic Valley>products. I buy my dairy products from local-regional suppliers, but>if I'm in a big national grocery chain store and I have a choice>between the store brand, Horizon, or Organic Valley, I'll always>choose Organic Valley.>>Stonyfield>Depending on whom you ask, founder and CEO Gary Hirshberg of>Stonyfield Farm is a sell out or a visionary. French company Groupe>Danone bought a huge ownership stake in the company, but Hirshberg is>still CEO. Critics charge that companies like Stonyfield dumb down>organics by engaging in questionable sourcing. A few years ago when>the demand for organic milk outstripped supply, Stonyfield was under>fire for buying powdered milk from New Zealand and shipping it here to>make yogurt. This year, Stonyfield got into trouble with organic>farmers because when demand for

organic milk went down and the big>companies (like Hood, Stonyfield and Horizon) stopped buying or>lowered the prices paid farmers, dairy farmers were left holding the>bag.>>White Wave - Silk>White Wave, the company that makes Silk Soymilk, was once thought of>as one of the most exemplary companies in the organic business. When>Dean Foods bought the company in 2002 things slowly started changing.>They introduced new flavors made with non-organic soybeans, and this>year they did something unforgivable to many. They sneakily changed>all the Silk soymilk products to natural from organic. They didn't>change the packaging, UPC codes or prices and they didn't inform>consumers or their grocery customers. All they did was very, very>quietly change the word "organic" to "natural" on the front of the>package. But then what do you expect from Dean Foods? See

above.>>People buy organic and natural foods for many reasons: their own>personal health, the health of the planet, matters of taste and the>desire to support family farms. When faced with the dizzying array of>choices on the shelves, it's satisfying to look behind the marketing>hoopla and choose the products that are most likely to align with your>own personal values.>>>>>>You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!>>>--->>To send an email to >-! Groups Links>>>---To send an email to -! Groups Links<*> /<*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional<*> To change settings online go to: /join ( ID required)<*> To change settings via email: -digest -fullfeatured <*>

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I just saw some yesterday at Whole Foods on the shelf. --- On Thu, 11/5/09, Patricia <moondreamer64_2000 wrote:Patricia <moondreamer64_2000Re: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla? Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009, 12:43 AM

 

 

Does anyone know what happened to Mori Nu tofu? It's very hard to find.Patricia--- On Wed, 11/4/09, yarrow <yarrow wrote:yarrow <yarrowRe: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla?@gro ups.comWednesday, November 4, 2009, 12:15 AMGreat article!I like Amy's roasted veg pizza (when it's on sale). When I was driving through the Texas

panhandle one summer, where the stench of manure piles from huge livestock confinement operations was so bad that I closed the windows (in a car with no air

conditioning or fan), I saw a sign for the Arrowhead Mills store. I could not believe they were located in the middle of this -- or that actual food could come from this area.I'm still mourning White Wave.At 11:54 AM -0500 11/2/09, fraggle wrote:>this article is in no way vegan>but i think folks who eat "organic" or supoosedly organic should >know where there stuff comes from>buy local...get from farmers markets whenever possible.... .......>>Amy's>Amy's Kitchen is the real deal. Named after the actual daughter of the>company's founders, Amy's mission was to create a line of vegetarian>food products for busy families that would be healthier than typical>convenience, frozen, and packaged foods. Started in Petaluma, Ca., the>company remains an independent, family-run business to this day and>Amy herself blogs about her life as a college

student (including her>organic agriculture classes at Stanford). The company headquarters is>still in Petaluma where the founders live. All Amy's foods are>vegetarian, but not all are organic. I get a kick out of looking at>the old photos of the early days on the company website. I try to cook>everything from scratch, but if I'm going to eat a frozen meal, make>mine Amy's!>>Arrowhead Mills>Owned by Hain-Celestial, which also owns many other natural and>organics brands. The good thing about Hain-owned brands is that they>don't generally try to fool their customers. They come right out and>say it. The story on Arrowhead's website is a folksy one about founder>Fred Ford in the Texas panhandle, but it clearly states when the>company was purchased by Hain. The other good thing about Hain is they>specialize in natural and organic foods, so I feel a bit

better about>buying their brands. But Hain is also partially owned by Heinz, so>that's the reality.>>I like Arrowhead because their product line is not processed. They>sell mostly whole grains, beans, and nut butters (high quality ones at>that). I do wonder where they source their raw ingredients, especially>with this line: "bringing deliciously wholesome choices from America's>Heartland to your table." Though it may not be, that line sounds like>pure marketing to me. It's true that many of these crops can be more>cheaply grown in China and I'm not saying that Arrowhead sources from>China. I can't find any evidence of it (or that they buy from anywhere>outside the US), but then again, their website and none of the product>packages I surveyed for this article state country of origin>information. Your guess is as good as mine.>>Cascadian

Farms>If they have to tell you it's a real place, there's something not>quite right. Oh, and General Mills owns Cascadian Farms. Founder Gene>Kahn was featured in the excellent book, Organic, Inc. defending>himself against those who would say that he sold out. General Mills>also owns Muir Glen and Small Planet Foods, both of which are>mentioned on Cascadian Farms' website, while General Mills is not.>General Mills is one of the largest packaged food companies in the>world and has a joint operating agreement with Nestle. In the fourth>quarter of 2009, General Mills posted revenues of $3.646 billion. Not>that there's anything wrong with it, but it sort of brings the>pastoral image into question.>>Eden>If you guessed Eden Foods as one of the independents, you guessed>right. In this fantastic article the founder of the company tells his>story

about fending off the advances of multiple large corporations.>Why? Because he wanted to run the company his way, with careful>attention to the quality of the product and sustainability practices.>Eden is probably my favorite organic food company, mostly for being>pioneers in BPA-free cans. (Except for the tomatoes, for which they>are looking for an option). According to the company's website, they>process their soybeans without toxic chemicals. All Eden soy products>are made from multi-tested GEO free, USA family farm organically grown>soybeans, with no refined sugar and no synthetic processing aids. They>do not add isoflavone supplements or soy protein isolate. All of the>above questionable additives and practices are routine in the>industry. Plus, they employ people in Detroit, one of the country's>most economically distressed areas. What's not to

like?>>Horizon>I'm not sure what the giggling children on the Horizon website have to>do with organic milk, in fact, I'm not sure what Horizon has to do>with organic milk either. The company is owned by Dean Foods, a huge>conglomerate that is said to be in control up to 90% of the milk>market in many states. The company has reported record profits this>year as dairy farmers all over the country have gone under. The>company is currently being sued by farmers and also being investigated>by the Justice Department for monopolistic practices. In other news,>Horizon has long been accused of selling "fake organic" milk by the>Cornucopia Institute. Enough said.>>Nature's Path>I was surprised and delighted when I found out that this Canadian>company is still family owned, because I like their products. The son>of an ecologically- minded organic

farmer, founder Arran Stephens>believes in not expanding the company beyond the point where he can>personally run it. The company does a lot to support organic farming,>packages their products as sustainably as possible, and engages in>many green business practices. While I don't usually eat packaged>cereal, if I were going to, I'd buy Nature's Path over any other>brand. There's some interesting reading on their website about the>family and company origins. At first glance the site looks like it was>developed as a homey, "real" brand by a team of corporate image>experts, but then you read the content and it's too personal to be>branding. So refreshing.>>Newman's Own Organics>Privately owned by Nell Newman, this company is an offshoot of the>original Newman's Own company, started by Paul Newman. They make tasty>snack foods that are less bad for you

than the chemical laden non->organic foods, but they are still snack foods and should be used>sparingly in favor of real, cooked from scratch food. The company is>very transparent about the ingredients in their products. Although the>original Newman's Own company gives tons of money to progressive>charities, I don't see this as part of the Newman's Own Organics>branding.>>Organic Valley>Organic Valley is a true cooperative of family farms, meaning all>farms that sign on share in the management and the profits. The>company is involved in advancing the organic movement through>organizations like Rodale Institute. Their website is very>interactive. You'll find various community pages and a cool little>calculator that lets users figure out how many pounds of synthetic>nitrogen, pesticides and fertilizers they've prevented from being>released into

the soil, air, and water through buying Organic Valley>products. I buy my dairy products from local-regional suppliers, but>if I'm in a big national grocery chain store and I have a choice>between the store brand, Horizon, or Organic Valley, I'll always>choose Organic Valley.>>Stonyfield>Depending on whom you ask, founder and CEO Gary Hirshberg of>Stonyfield Farm is a sell out or a visionary. French company Groupe>Danone bought a huge ownership stake in the company, but Hirshberg is>still CEO. Critics charge that companies like Stonyfield dumb down>organics by engaging in questionable sourcing. A few years ago when>the demand for organic milk outstripped supply, Stonyfield was under>fire for buying powdered milk from New Zealand and shipping it here to>make yogurt. This year, Stonyfield got into trouble with organic>farmers because when demand for

organic milk went down and the big>companies (like Hood, Stonyfield and Horizon) stopped buying or>lowered the prices paid farmers, dairy farmers were left holding the>bag.>>White Wave - Silk>White Wave, the company that makes Silk Soymilk, was once thought of>as one of the most exemplary companies in the organic business. When>Dean Foods bought the company in 2002 things slowly started changing.>They introduced new flavors made with non-organic soybeans, and this>year they did something unforgivable to many. They sneakily changed>all the Silk soymilk products to natural from organic. They didn't>change the packaging, UPC codes or prices and they didn't inform>consumers or their grocery customers. All they did was very, very>quietly change the word "organic" to "natural" on the front of the>package. But then what do you expect from Dean Foods? See

above.>>People buy organic and natural foods for many reasons: their own>personal health, the health of the planet, matters of taste and the>desire to support family farms. When faced with the dizzying array of>choices on the shelves, it's satisfying to look behind the marketing>hoopla and choose the products that are most likely to align with your>own personal values.>>>>>>You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!>>>------------ --------- --------- ------>>To send an email to >-unsubscr ibe

[Guest guest]

I don't have Whole Foods near me. Patricia--- On Thu, 11/5/09, CeAnne Jacques <ceannetj wrote:CeAnne Jacques <ceannetjRe: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla? Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009, 5:00 AM

 

I just saw some yesterday at Whole Foods on the shelf. --- On Thu, 11/5/09, Patricia <moondreamer64_2000 wrote:Patricia <moondreamer64_2000Re: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla? Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009, 12:43 AM

 

 

Does anyone know what happened to Mori Nu tofu? It's very hard to find.Patricia--- On Wed, 11/4/09, yarrow <yarrow wrote:yarrow <yarrowRe: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla?@gro ups.comWednesday, November 4, 2009, 12:15 AMGreat article!I like Amy's roasted veg pizza (when it's on sale). When I was driving through the Texas

panhandle one summer, where the stench of manure piles from huge livestock confinement operations was so bad that I closed the windows (in a car with no air

conditioning or fan), I saw a sign for the Arrowhead Mills store. I could not believe they were located in the middle of this -- or that actual food could come from this area.I'm still mourning White Wave.At 11:54 AM -0500 11/2/09, fraggle wrote:>this article is in no way vegan>but i think folks who eat "organic" or supoosedly organic should >know where there stuff comes from>buy local...get from farmers markets whenever possible.... .......>>Amy's>Amy's Kitchen is the real deal. Named after the actual daughter of the>company's founders, Amy's mission was to create a line of vegetarian>food products for busy families that would be healthier than typical>convenience, frozen, and packaged foods. Started in Petaluma, Ca., the>company remains an independent, family-run business to this day and>Amy herself blogs about her life as a college

student (including her>organic agriculture classes at Stanford). The company headquarters is>still in Petaluma where the founders live. All Amy's foods are>vegetarian, but not all are organic. I get a kick out of looking at>the old photos of the early days on the company website. I try to cook>everything from scratch, but if I'm going to eat a frozen meal, make>mine Amy's!>>Arrowhead Mills>Owned by Hain-Celestial, which also owns many other natural and>organics brands. The good thing about Hain-owned brands is that they>don't generally try to fool their customers. They come right out and>say it. The story on Arrowhead's website is a folksy one about founder>Fred Ford in the Texas panhandle, but it clearly states when the>company was purchased by Hain. The other good thing about Hain is they>specialize in natural and organic foods, so I feel a bit

better about>buying their brands. But Hain is also partially owned by Heinz, so>that's the reality.>>I like Arrowhead because their product line is not processed. They>sell mostly whole grains, beans, and nut butters (high quality ones at>that). I do wonder where they source their raw ingredients, especially>with this line: "bringing deliciously wholesome choices from America's>Heartland to your table." Though it may not be, that line sounds like>pure marketing to me. It's true that many of these crops can be more>cheaply grown in China and I'm not saying that Arrowhead sources from>China. I can't find any evidence of it (or that they buy from anywhere>outside the US), but then again, their website and none of the product>packages I surveyed for this article state country of origin>information. Your guess is as good as mine.>>Cascadian

Farms>If they have to tell you it's a real place, there's something not>quite right. Oh, and General Mills owns Cascadian Farms. Founder Gene>Kahn was featured in the excellent book, Organic, Inc. defending>himself against those who would say that he sold out. General Mills>also owns Muir Glen and Small Planet Foods, both of which are>mentioned on Cascadian Farms' website, while General Mills is not.>General Mills is one of the largest packaged food companies in the>world and has a joint operating agreement with Nestle. In the fourth>quarter of 2009, General Mills posted revenues of $3.646 billion. Not>that there's anything wrong with it, but it sort of brings the>pastoral image into question.>>Eden>If you guessed Eden Foods as one of the independents, you guessed>right. In this fantastic article the founder of the company tells his>story

about fending off the advances of multiple large corporations.>Why? Because he wanted to run the company his way, with careful>attention to the quality of the product and sustainability practices.>Eden is probably my favorite organic food company, mostly for being>pioneers in BPA-free cans. (Except for the tomatoes, for which they>are looking for an option). According to the company's website, they>process their soybeans without toxic chemicals. All Eden soy products>are made from multi-tested GEO free, USA family farm organically grown>soybeans, with no refined sugar and no synthetic processing aids. They>do not add isoflavone supplements or soy protein isolate. All of the>above questionable additives and practices are routine in the>industry. Plus, they employ people in Detroit, one of the country's>most economically distressed areas. What's not to

like?>>Horizon>I'm not sure what the giggling children on the Horizon website have to>do with organic milk, in fact, I'm not sure what Horizon has to do>with organic milk either. The company is owned by Dean Foods, a huge>conglomerate that is said to be in control up to 90% of the milk>market in many states. The company has reported record profits this>year as dairy farmers all over the country have gone under. The>company is currently being sued by farmers and also being investigated>by the Justice Department for monopolistic practices. In other news,>Horizon has long been accused of selling "fake organic" milk by the>Cornucopia Institute. Enough said.>>Nature's Path>I was surprised and delighted when I found out that this Canadian>company is still family owned, because I like their products. The son>of an ecologically- minded organic

farmer, founder Arran Stephens>believes in not expanding the company beyond the point where he can>personally run it. The company does a lot to support organic farming,>packages their products as sustainably as possible, and engages in>many green business practices. While I don't usually eat packaged>cereal, if I were going to, I'd buy Nature's Path over any other>brand. There's some interesting reading on their website about the>family and company origins. At first glance the site looks like it was>developed as a homey, "real" brand by a team of corporate image>experts, but then you read the content and it's too personal to be>branding. So refreshing.>>Newman's Own Organics>Privately owned by Nell Newman, this company is an offshoot of the>original Newman's Own company, started by Paul Newman. They make tasty>snack foods that are less bad for you

than the chemical laden non->organic foods, but they are still snack foods and should be used>sparingly in favor of real, cooked from scratch food. The company is>very transparent about the ingredients in their products. Although the>original Newman's Own company gives tons of money to progressive>charities, I don't see this as part of the Newman's Own Organics>branding.>>Organic Valley>Organic Valley is a true cooperative of family farms, meaning all>farms that sign on share in the management and the profits. The>company is involved in advancing the organic movement through>organizations like Rodale Institute. Their website is very>interactive. You'll find various community pages and a cool little>calculator that lets users figure out how many pounds of synthetic>nitrogen, pesticides and fertilizers they've prevented from being>released into

the soil, air, and water through buying Organic Valley>products. I buy my dairy products from local-regional suppliers, but>if I'm in a big national grocery chain store and I have a choice>between the store brand, Horizon, or Organic Valley, I'll always>choose Organic Valley.>>Stonyfield>Depending on whom you ask, founder and CEO Gary Hirshberg of>Stonyfield Farm is a sell out or a visionary. French company Groupe>Danone bought a huge ownership stake in the company, but Hirshberg is>still CEO. Critics charge that companies like Stonyfield dumb down>organics by engaging in questionable sourcing. A few years ago when>the demand for organic milk outstripped supply, Stonyfield was under>fire for buying powdered milk from New Zealand and shipping it here to>make yogurt. This year, Stonyfield got into trouble with organic>farmers because when demand for

organic milk went down and the big>companies (like Hood, Stonyfield and Horizon) stopped buying or>lowered the prices paid farmers, dairy farmers were left holding the>bag.>>White Wave - Silk>White Wave, the company that makes Silk Soymilk, was once thought of>as one of the most exemplary companies in the organic business. When>Dean Foods bought the company in 2002 things slowly started changing.>They introduced new flavors made with non-organic soybeans, and this>year they did something unforgivable to many. They sneakily changed>all the Silk soymilk products to natural from organic. They didn't>change the packaging, UPC codes or prices and they didn't inform>consumers or their grocery customers. All they did was very, very>quietly change the word "organic" to "natural" on the front of the>package. But then what do you expect from Dean Foods? See

above.>>People buy organic and natural foods for many reasons: their own>personal health, the health of the planet, matters of taste and the>desire to support family farms. When faced with the dizzying array of>choices on the shelves, it's satisfying to look behind the marketing>hoopla and choose the products that are most likely to align with your>own personal values.>>>>>>You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!>>>------------ --------- --------- ------>>To send an email to >-unsubscr ibe

[Guest guest]

A lot of markets have quit carrying it including Trader Joe's.Patricia--- On Thu, 11/5/09, fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:fraggle <EBbrewpunxRe: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla? Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009, 8:07 AM

 

i still see their silken tofu packages around.....

Patricia Nov 5, 2009 2:43 AM Re: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla?

 

 

 

 

 

Does anyone know what happened to Mori Nu tofu? It's very hard to find.Patricia--- On Wed, 11/4/09, yarrow <yarrow wrote:

yarrow <yarrowRe: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla?@gro ups.comWednesday, November 4, 2009, 12:15 AM

Great article!I like Amy's roasted veg pizza (when it's on sale). When I was driving through the Texas panhandle one summer, where the stench of manure piles from huge livestock confinement operations was so bad that I closed the windows (in a car with no air conditioning or fan), I saw a sign for the Arrowhead Mills store. I could not believe they were located in the middle of this -- or that actual food could come from this area.I'm still mourning White Wave.At 11:54 AM -0500 11/2/09, fraggle wrote:>this article is in no way vegan>but i think folks who eat "organic" or supoosedly organic should >know where there stuff comes from>buy local...get from farmers markets whenever possible.... .......>>Amy's>Amy's Kitchen is the real deal. Named after the actual daughter of the>company's founders, Amy's mission was to create a

line of vegetarian>food products for busy families that would be healthier than typical>convenience, frozen, and packaged foods. Started in Petaluma, Ca., the>company remains an independent, family-run business to this day and>Amy herself blogs about her life as a college student (including her>organic agriculture classes at Stanford). The company headquarters is>still in Petaluma where the founders live. All Amy's foods are>vegetarian, but not all are organic. I get a kick out of looking at>the old photos of the early days on the company website. I try to cook>everything from scratch, but if I'm going to eat a frozen meal, make>mine Amy's!>>Arrowhead Mills>Owned by Hain-Celestial, which also owns many other natural and>organics brands. The good thing about Hain-owned brands is that they>don't generally try to fool their customers. They come right

out and>say it. The story on Arrowhead's website is a folksy one about founder>Fred Ford in the Texas panhandle, but it clearly states when the>company was purchased by Hain. The other good thing about Hain is they>specialize in natural and organic foods, so I feel a bit better about>buying their brands. But Hain is also partially owned by Heinz, so>that's the reality.>>I like Arrowhead because their product line is not processed. They>sell mostly whole grains, beans, and nut butters (high quality ones at>that). I do wonder where they source their raw ingredients, especially>with this line: "bringing deliciously wholesome choices from America's>Heartland to your table." Though it may not be, that line sounds like>pure marketing to me. It's true that many of these crops can be more>cheaply grown in China and I'm not saying that Arrowhead sources

from>China. I can't find any evidence of it (or that they buy from anywhere>outside the US), but then again, their website and none of the product>packages I surveyed for this article state country of origin>information. Your guess is as good as mine.>>Cascadian Farms>If they have to tell you it's a real place, there's something not>quite right. Oh, and General Mills owns Cascadian Farms. Founder Gene>Kahn was featured in the excellent book, Organic, Inc. defending>himself against those who would say that he sold out. General Mills>also owns Muir Glen and Small Planet Foods, both of which are>mentioned on Cascadian Farms' website, while General Mills is not.>General Mills is one of the largest packaged food companies in the>world and has a joint operating agreement with Nestle. In the fourth>quarter of 2009, General Mills posted revenues of $3.646

billion. Not>that there's anything wrong with it, but it sort of brings the>pastoral image into question.>>Eden>If you guessed Eden Foods as one of the independents, you guessed>right. In this fantastic article the founder of the company tells his>story about fending off the advances of multiple large corporations.>Why? Because he wanted to run the company his way, with careful>attention to the quality of the product and sustainability practices.>Eden is probably my favorite organic food company, mostly for being>pioneers in BPA-free cans. (Except for the tomatoes, for which they>are looking for an option). According to the company's website, they>process their soybeans without toxic chemicals. All Eden soy products>are made from multi-tested GEO free, USA family farm organically grown>soybeans, with no refined sugar and no synthetic processing aids.

They>do not add isoflavone supplements or soy protein isolate. All of the>above questionable additives and practices are routine in the>industry. Plus, they employ people in Detroit, one of the country's>most economically distressed areas. What's not to like?>>Horizon>I'm not sure what the giggling children on the Horizon website have to>do with organic milk, in fact, I'm not sure what Horizon has to do>with organic milk either. The company is owned by Dean Foods, a huge>conglomerate that is said to be in control up to 90% of the milk>market in many states. The company has reported record profits this>year as dairy farmers all over the country have gone under. The>company is currently being sued by farmers and also being investigated>by the Justice Department for monopolistic practices. In other news,>Horizon has long been accused of selling "fake

organic" milk by the>Cornucopia Institute. Enough said.>>Nature's Path>I was surprised and delighted when I found out that this Canadian>company is still family owned, because I like their products. The son>of an ecologically- minded organic farmer, founder Arran Stephens>believes in not expanding the company beyond the point where he can>personally run it. The company does a lot to support organic farming,>packages their products as sustainably as possible, and engages in>many green business practices. While I don't usually eat packaged>cereal, if I were going to, I'd buy Nature's Path over any other>brand. There's some interesting reading on their website about the>family and company origins. At first glance the site looks like it was>developed as a homey, "real" brand by a team of corporate image>experts, but then you read the content and it's too

personal to be>branding. So refreshing.>>Newman's Own Organics>Privately owned by Nell Newman, this company is an offshoot of the>original Newman's Own company, started by Paul Newman. They make tasty>snack foods that are less bad for you than the chemical laden non->organic foods, but they are still snack foods and should be used>sparingly in favor of real, cooked from scratch food. The company is>very transparent about the ingredients in their products. Although the>original Newman's Own company gives tons of money to progressive>charities, I don't see this as part of the Newman's Own Organics>branding.>>Organic Valley>Organic Valley is a true cooperative of family farms, meaning all>farms that sign on share in the management and the profits. The>company is involved in advancing the organic movement through>organizations like

Rodale Institute. Their website is very>interactive. You'll find various community pages and a cool little>calculator that lets users figure out how many pounds of synthetic>nitrogen, pesticides and fertilizers they've prevented from being>released into the soil, air, and water through buying Organic Valley>products. I buy my dairy products from local-regional suppliers, but>if I'm in a big national grocery chain store and I have a choice>between the store brand, Horizon, or Organic Valley, I'll always>choose Organic Valley.>>Stonyfield>Depending on whom you ask, founder and CEO Gary Hirshberg of>Stonyfield Farm is a sell out or a visionary. French company Groupe>Danone bought a huge ownership stake in the company, but Hirshberg is>still CEO. Critics charge that companies like Stonyfield dumb down>organics by engaging in questionable sourcing. A few

years ago when>the demand for organic milk outstripped supply, Stonyfield was under>fire for buying powdered milk from New Zealand and shipping it here to>make yogurt. This year, Stonyfield got into trouble with organic>farmers because when demand for organic milk went down and the big>companies (like Hood, Stonyfield and Horizon) stopped buying or>lowered the prices paid farmers, dairy farmers were left holding the>bag.>>White Wave - Silk>White Wave, the company that makes Silk Soymilk, was once thought of>as one of the most exemplary companies in the organic business. When>Dean Foods bought the company in 2002 things slowly started changing.>They introduced new flavors made with non-organic soybeans, and this>year they did something unforgivable to many. They sneakily changed>all the Silk soymilk products to natural from organic. They

didn't>change the packaging, UPC codes or prices and they didn't inform>consumers or their grocery customers. All they did was very, very>quietly change the word "organic" to "natural" on the front of the>package. But then what do you expect from Dean Foods? See above.>>People buy organic and natural foods for many reasons: their own>personal health, the health of the planet, matters of taste and the>desire to support family farms. When faced with the dizzying array of>choices on the shelves, it's satisfying to look behind the marketing>hoopla and choose the products that are most likely to align with your>own personal values.>>>>>>You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!>>>------------ --------- --------- ------>>To send an email to >-unsubscr ibe

[Guest guest]

Good article. It's frustrating that corporations can hide their ownership.

 

I'm not a knee-jerk hate-the-corporations type, but I do try to avoid

most of the major food companies because they do practices I don't agree

with. Hain, though, is a good one. I like all the Hain products I use,

and the only thing I can find about them that some consider " bad " is the

mere fact that they are an incorporated business. If that's evil, I can

live with it.

 

Interesting that this very good company does nothing to hide itself,

even though they lose those customers who won't use products just

because of the " Inc. " at the end of the company name. The honesty is

refreshing!

 

Cheers.

 

--

Trish Carr

http://home.comcast.net/~bantrymoon/

[Guest guest]

I have a place near me now called Sprouts and they don't carry Mori Nu, but they have a lot of organic, vegan and vegetarian products.Patricia--- On Fri, 11/6/09, yarrow <yarrow wrote:yarrow <yarrowRe: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla? Date: Friday, November 6, 2009, 11:45 PM

Re: Who's Really Behind Organic Food

Brands L

TJ's is a pretty unreliable place. Whenever I've found something

I like there, they stop carrying it a few months later. Sometimes they

switch to a "house" brand, or if the item is a house brand,

they stop making it. Their business model seems to center on

introducing new items every month or so, which means dropping whatever

isn't flying off the shelves. I've just stopped going there.

 

At 11:34 AM -0800 11/6/09, Patricia wrote:

A lot of markets have quit carrying it including Trader

Joe's.

 

--- On Thu, 11/5/09, fraggle <EBbrewpunx

wrote:

 

i still see their silken tofu packages around.....

 

 

Patricia

 

Does anyone know what happened to Mori Nu tofu? It's very hard to

find.

[Guest guest]

I may not be able to use enough to make it worth their while. I used to buy it at Vons(Safeway) and it seemed to sell well and then it was gone. Now they have their own O Organics brand in stead. I finally tried it and it's not bad; its better than other tofu packed in water.Patricia--- On Sun, 11/8/09, yarrow <yarrow wrote:yarrow <yarrowRe: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like Amy's and Odwalla? Date: Sunday, November 8, 2009, 2:42 PM

Re: Who's Really Behind Organic Food

Brands L

You could ask them to carry it.

 

 

At 2:25 PM -0800 11/8/09, Patricia wrote:

I have a place near me now called Sprouts and they don't carry

Mori Nu, but they have a lot of organic, vegan and vegetarian

products.

 

Patricia

 

--- On Fri, 11/6/09, yarrow <yarrow wrote:

 

 

yarrow <yarrow

Re: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands Like

Amy's and Odwalla?

 

Friday, November 6, 2009, 11:45 PM

 

Re: Who's Really Behind Organic Food Brands L

 

TJ's is a pretty unreliable place. Whenever I've found something

I like there, they stop carrying it a few months later. Sometimes they

switch to a "house" brand, or if the item is a house brand,

they stop making it. Their business model seems to center on

introducing new items every month or so, which means dropping whatever

isn't flying off the shelves. I've just stopped going there.

 

At 11:34 AM -0800 11/6/09, Patricia wrote:

A lot of markets have quit carrying it including Trader

Joe's.

 

--- On Thu, 11/5/09, fraggle <EBbrewpunx

wrote:

 

i still see their silken tofu packages around.....

 

 

Patricia

 

Does anyone know what happened to Mori Nu tofu? It's very hard to

find.