From its survey of 30,000 people in 60 countries, Nielsen just released the results of its Global Health and Wellness Survey. And what they reported is more evidence that health is a trend that shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Here were some of the key findings from the survey:
– Organic products have enjoyed 28% sales growth over the past two years while products claiming to be “all natural” have experienced 24% sales growth over that same period. Read More »
As I do at the beginning of each year, I make predictions about the hottest segments, ingredients, and products within the organic sector.
Here are my Top 5 Organic Food Trends for 2015.
HPP BABY FOOD
In my Top 5 Organic Food Trends of 2012, one of my choices was High Pressure Processing, also known as HPP. HPP is an alternative form of pasteurization that uses pressure, instead of heat, and kills harmful bacteria without significantly impacting a product’s nutrients and vitamins.
HPP has been used in the food industry for decades, largely with packaged meat and chicken, but it was only within the last few years that it has become much more well-known, thanks to many of the pressed juice and coconut water companies. Read More »
Just when you thought that GMOs, as we know them today, were bad enough, get ready for something potentially worse to deal with.
In a recent New York Times article, it was reported that biotech companies have discovered and exploited a loophole in government regulation that allows them to create a different breed of GMOs and market them to the public without needing approval from the USDA. Read More »
I’ve been fortunate to do many amazing things and meet a ton of inspirational people in 2014.
Yet, if I had to pick my highlight of the year, it is probably the article that I just wrote in Mantra: Yoga+Health magazine.
When the magazine first hit the stands, I vividly remember being hunched over in the aisle at Whole Foods Market in NYC’s Union Square, absorbing every single word. What I felt after reading these few pages touched me in a way that nothing else had in a long, long time.
To be honest, my reaction really took me by surprise and I never imagined that I would be so overcome with emotion. Why was I so moved by this article?
I write blog posts all of the time that get shared throughout the world on the Internet. Additionally, I also have been lucky enough to have been profiled in The New York Times, CNN, Fox News, Bloomberg and many others major media outlets.
So, what was so special about this one? Read More »
There are certain products that I when I see in the market, I pull them off the shelf and put them into my basket without giving it a second thought. It is automatic.
That is exactly what happens when I come across a bag of Curt’s Classic Snack Mix by Raw Food Central.
I almost named Curt’s Classic Snack Mix as one of my Top 5 Organic Products from this year’s Natural Products Expo East several months ago but for some reason resisted. Quite possibly, it was because I wanted to dedicate an entire post to the product. Read More »
(My apologies that I am sending this to you so late, but I have had a crazy travel schedule to California and have spent an inordinate amount of time offline. Blog posts about my West Coast trip are coming soon, however.)
PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE DUE TODAY – DECEMBER 15TH
In response to recent widespread, and sometimes deadly, outbreaks of foodborne illness, Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) charging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with improving its oversight of the food industry.
Last year, the FDA released a draft of its new policy and an overwhelming number of our comments forced the agency to re-write the rules. This demonstrates that speaking up does have an impact!
The FDA has now released a new version of the rules, which addresses many of our concerns.
However, a number of pitfalls for farmers remain in the new draft, which will also impact consumers of local, organic food purchased at farmers markets, CSAs and co-op grocers. For some small organic farmers, these rules have the potential to put them out of business. Read More »
On the first Wednesday of every other month, I have a column called Wednesdays at Whole Foods. It showcases the most interesting news, products, store events, and happenings at the company.
WHAT’S IN STORE
As most you of probably know, Whole Foods Market just launched its very first national ad campaign called Values Matter. The goal was to communicate the tremendous importance of how and from where the company sources its food.
Yet, the ad campaign is hardly the only new initiative the company is rolling out.
In its recently opened store in Alpharetta, Georgia, Whole Foods Market is beta-testing a new format that will improve and increase its engagement with shoppers. Read More »
