Do We Really Need Organic Potato Chips?
Buried in the New York Times piece on Whole foods that I mentioned earlier in the week was this fascinating tidbit:
Making matters worse for Whole Foods, consumer interest in organic food appears to be leveling off after several years of double-digit growth, according to the Hartman Group, a market research firm specializing in health and wellness.
Laurie Demeritt, president of the Hartman Group, said core consumers for organic goods, about 15 percent of the population, are becoming even more committed. But people less attached to such items are continuing to buy organic dairy products, produce and meat, and are buying fewer organic goods among packaged items, like cereal and crackers, she said.
"They don't see those center-store categories as being so important," she said. “The economy has only exacerbated that situation.”
Maybe, just maybe, serious eaters are smarter than marketers think we are. People should be buying fewer organic goods among packaged items, and they should be committed to buying organic or sustainably and responsibly grown and raised dairy products, produce, and meat. Why?
Because dairy products, produce, and meat are naked, exposed foods that are profoundly affected by shoddy handling and processing. We don't need milk from herds of cows injected with growth hormone. We've all read plenty about meat recalls and conditions in meat processing plants (see Fast Food Nation), and when the FDA can't identify what's made a thousand people sick with salmonella, you know it's time to buy organic and responsibly raised and grown food.
On the other hand, people understand that there are fewer benefits to be gained from consuming organic breakfast cereals, organic sodas, organic frozen mac and cheese, organic packaged chocolate chip cookies, and organic potato chips. These are all highly processed foods anyway, so it's harder to see what we derive from eating them—all while paying more for the privilege.
So when times are tough, serious eaters forsake higher-priced, processed organic food—with good reason. We ain't that stupid.
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15 Comments:
To be a little simplistic. The fight against labeling processed food as Organic was lost years ago with the USDA, (processed organic being arguably an oxymoron.) But maybe the war was won in the market place.
Feefiefoefum at 9:22AM on 08/11/08
We need more organic products, not less. The advantage of organic foods isn't just in the direct health benefit to the consumer in produce dairy and meat. The real important benefit is in the reduction of the use pesticides and fertilizers which are extremely harmful to the environment: our water supplies, fish and birds, and the farm workers themselves. Processed food companies are huge buyers. When you go to the farmers' market and buy your veggies, you a re certainly doing good by you, and supporting a better food delivery system. But it's a drop in the bucket. At that very moment, a company like Nestle is buying tons and tons of produce over huge swaths of land, using literally tons of fertilizers and pesticides and fossil fuels. This produce needs to be grown organically, not just for your immediate and largely perceived health benefit but for that of the planet, the benefit of our children and grandchildren who will inherit what we leave behind. Americans eat enormous amounts of processed foods. It is therefore critical that these foods be produced in a responsible, clean and sustainable manner. Ed, I find your opinion to be shortsighted and frankly disappointing.
simon at 9:51AM on 08/11/08
Oh, and another thing. To the delusion of lower prices for food: what you don't pay for upfront in the form of higher quality food, you will pay for later, in the form of higher medical bills for diseases such as cancer due to pollution, taxes for environmental cleanup, clean water, and for wars over oil.
simon at 10:23AM on 08/11/08
I don't think we need organic processed foods.
gillsnthrills at 10:24AM on 08/11/08
You're right, Simon. Processed foods made from organic products will have a net positive effect on the land, the environment, and our health. I guess the point I was making is that consumers looking to save money during hard times are best served by buying fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products (less processed foods) rather than things like organic potato chips and organic macaroni and cheese.
Ed Levine at 10:30AM on 08/11/08
I don't care if the Kettle chips are organic..I pay more to buy them because they are awesome! The Sea Salt + Black Pepper are some of the best potato chips ever..
cjingram at 10:32AM on 08/11/08
I agree with you, cjingram. I buy Kettle chips first and foremost because they are delicious. Their regular lightly salted chips are tied with Cape Cod Russet chips as my favorite commercially available chips of all time.
Ed Levine at 10:58AM on 08/11/08
Ed, I agree with you, that people should buy less processed foods in general. Americans are addicted to processed foods though. Our palates crave the intensely sweet and salty, and our culture values the convenience. I don't see people eating less of this stuff unfortunately, even though it's expensive and unhealthy. That's why I think it's important that more of it be made from produce that was grown in a clean and sustainable manner. The govmt should be subsidizing organic farming, rather than throwing billions of dollars at "conventional" producers.
simon at 11:06AM on 08/11/08
Simon, I am never emotional except when it comes to my children and food. Supporting organic food production, economics and "politics" is not only to their long term advantage, it is also delicious - which is what food should be.
I wanted to weep when I saw your mail. I'm in total agreement and will go the organic route, cost what it costs ...............
Jacoba at 11:45AM on 08/11/08
Add me to the "it's the taste" camp. Everything in the Kettle line is high-quality and delicious, and I buy those chips over Lay's because of the taste and texture. The organic quality is just a plus.
marzipanda at 12:01PM on 08/11/08
I think you're confusing some issues, Ed. In terms of safety, though I do believe that organic farms are more efficiently and better run in general, eating organic won't prevent anyone from getting E Coli. That doesn't come from fertilizers or pesticides. So if it's major contamination that should be the main concern for consumers, they should be looking at local farms, and working to "know" their farmers and practices, regardless of whether the farm is organic or not.
If it's pesticides and fertilizers that you're worried about, you should be worried about it in all of your foods. And, yes, obviously, as a whole, we should all be eating less processed foods, organic or otherwise. But that certainly isn't an argument for eating less organic as a percentage of the processed foods you choose to eat.
Also, you don't take into account that one of the major reasons a lot of consumers choose organic is to minimize their impact on the environment. Though these consumers are less likely to buy processed foods in the first place, it really doesn't matter how the food is processed in relation to the fact that if the raw source was organically grown, it's less of an impact on the environment.
Oh yeah, and it tastes better, even the processed stuff.
Tactful_Cactus at 12:31PM on 08/11/08
As someone rooting for both sides:
I just like the use of flavour on this brand's chips anyway!
Good quality chips :)
hungrychristel at 1:16PM on 08/11/08
Considering the staggering amount of chemicals used to grow conventional potatoes, I would say that going organic when it comes to potato chips is a good thing. Potatoes are, after all, considered one of the 12 worst offenders when it comes to pesticide residue. Then again, I agree wholeheartedly that not eating processed foods at all would be a better choice.
sarahbeam at 2:07PM on 08/11/08
Of course we need them. How else would yuppies know what kind of chips to buy and feel morally superior about?
Perhaps I've been reading that What White People Like blog too much.
wunami at 10:56PM on 08/11/08
i choose organic whenever i can.... just to support the movement. and if money talks, maybe the message will eventually sink in.....
stop disrespecting our environment....
pooch at 9:08AM on 08/12/08