Whether it is all the trade shows that I go to, all the people that I am connected with on social networks, or all of the emails that I receive, I come across tons and tons of different teas.

So, the first question I always ask is “what makes this tea different than all of the other ones?”

Runa guayusa organic tea is something truly unique. Dervied from the Amazon in Ecuador, guayusa does not contain tannins. This results in a taste that is very, very smooth and one that is not astringent. Furthermore, the company claims that it has twice the amount of antioxidants than green tea.

There is a tremendous social element to Runa as well. The company is having a major impact on the lives of the local farm workers in Ecuador and the demand for this product is raising their incomes significantly. Read more »

Last week, I went to the Natural Products Expo East Trade Show in Boston. I just absolutely love these shows. Not only do I get to meet some fantastic people but I have the opportunity to see the newest products on the market.

These are the best organic food products that I came across.

SIPP – GINGER BLOSSOM SODA

I can only describe Sipp’s ginger blossom soda in one word – WOW.

When I first took a sip, I experienced the ginger. Then literally within one second, the ginger vanished and vanilla poured in. It was like Houdini played a trick on me.

The aftertaste was where things calmed down and I could reflect on what was in my mouth. If I could compare it to anything, I’d say this drink tastes like a cream soda. The few ingredients include ginger, lime, vanilla and agave nectar.

I am not a huge organic soda drinker but this beverage was simply outstanding. It was very, very hard to put down. Read more »

(This is the second of two posts written by Lora Krulak, a vegetable expert, nutritionist and recipe re-creator who is currently living in Paris. Her first post appeared yesterday.)

Last month I walked into a client’s house and on his kitchen counter was the most random yet beautiful arrangement of produce, truffles and bread. When he saw me staring at the haphazard array, he immediately got a bit defensive and said, “What can I do with rutabaga, fingerling potatoes and basil? Do you have a recipe for all this stuff?”

He told me about the weekly delivery he’d been getting from Le Haut Du Panier, the Grande Dame of organic/bio food delivery in Paris – cheeses, breads, fruits, vegetables, meats, and even oysters and books from organic producers around Paris. Truly extraordinary. The website alone makes you want to buy and eat everything! Honestly, they make Fresh Direct look like a sad midnight deli.

Le Haut Du Panier is not alone. There are similar services sprouting up around the country but mostly they’re based in Paris.

Comparable to the CSAs in the states, one can order a box and pick it up, with costs starting at about 8 Euros ($US 11) per week and scaling up depending on what’s ordered. Not too hefty a price to pay for such an assortment of fresh organic produce.

Bio is becoming “la mode” in Paris, with crowds and lines at markets and organic restaurants. There is a fully organic trade show of just organic/bio products next week, with workshops on everything from how to compost in your closet to how to make your own organic perfume. Read more »

Until recently, the State of Ohio had a ban on all milk labels which contained statements saying that the milk inside did not contain bovine growth hormones. So, a milk that did not have growth hormones COULD NOT SAY that it did not have growth hormones. That was completely illegal.

More precisely, the phrases “rbGH Free,” “rbST Free” and “artificial hormone free” were banned.

rBGH and rBST are commonly known as recombinant bovine growth hormones.  Approved by the FDA in 1993, they are given to cows to make the animals grow faster and produce more milk.

rGBH elevates the levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a naturally-occurring hormone that in high levels is linked to several types of cancers, among other things. European nations and Canada have banned rGBH milk because of the dangerous side effects of IGF-1. As I have written about before, organic milk is absolutely essential.

Fortunately, a federal court recently overturned a district court’s ruling, which said the labels could not be used. The district court concluded that consumers would somehow be misled and consumers would get confused.

The only thing consumers would get confused about was how and why the growth hormones were in there in the first place. Read more »

Last month, Whole Foods came out with a brand new organic product – a refrigerated almond milk under the 365 label.

The company claims that this is the industry’s first-ever private label, certified organic, refrigerated almond milk and I believe what it is saying. I cannot recall seeing another one.

Why is this product so novel?

Well, it is novel in terms of what you can get in the supermarket.

Prior to this product being available, our only option (aside from making it at home) was buying boxes of almond milk, which sit on the shelves in the dry goods aisle.

These boxes are kept at room temperature until you open them. Then, they go into the fridge. The shelf life of these boxes (before they are opened) is approximately one year.

Whole Foods is now offering a much more fresh alternative. Its almond milk is kept cool and has an expiration date of roughly two months.

The taste: Extremely good because of its sweetness and full-body texture. Read more »

In wine, there are naturally occurring sulfites and added sulfites. The naturally occurring sulfites are a by-product of the fermentation process and it is nearly impossible to have a sulfite-free wine.

Winemakers have been working with sulfite agents, added sulfites, for hundreds of years. They were originally introduced in Europe as a preservative and are used to prevent spoiling.

It is possible, however, to have a wine that is free of added sulfates and that is organic wine. The four main attributes of USDA certified organic wine are:

– Made from grapes that are certified organic

– No toxic or synthetic chemicals, preservatives or pesticides may be used in the grape-growing process

– No added sulfites in the winemaking process

– The sulfite level (from naturally occurring sulfites) cannot exceed 20 parts per million.

Aside from USDA certified organic wine, which is not too common, there is also wine that has “made from organic grapes” on the label. The two main differences difference between a wine that is “made from organic grapes” and a USDA certified organic wine:

– It can contain added sulfites

– Approved sulfite level is higher — 100 parts per million. Read more »

When I went to Natural Products Expo West earlier this year, I was able to spend three full days there and take my time visiting each booth. I felt good about writing my Best of Show Awards since I was confident that I had seen everything.

At this year’s Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC, my time was limited to three hours on one day. I did my best to see everything I could but there is no doubt that I missed some things.

A few key takeaways:

– I was stunned by all of the foreign food companies at the show. It seemed that every country from every continent had its own section.

– Organic food did not have its own designated area. I was curious if it would but was informed that with so many companies doing organic, it no longer made logistical sense.

– The energy was very different than at Expo West. This could be a result of Expo West being a smaller show and a unifying passion around organic/natural.

Now, for the most interesting and compelling products that I saw.

RUNA AMAZON GUAYUSA TEA

There seem to be hundreds of organic teas on the market and the first question that pops out of my mouth when I see a new one is “what makes this tea different from all of the other teas?”

There are three things that make Runa Tea unique. Read more »