Common Food Trends #8

Not only are we seeing gluten free products all over in grocery stores, there is also a large amount of organic products hitting the shelves at every local store. I am guilty of purchasing organic food thinking that it is a healthier option due to the label that says organic. But, until after I researched the topic, I wasn’t even sure what organic meant. It was just a name to me and I felt like I was being healthier just from eating organic food. Organic food supposedly means that it is free of synthetic additives like pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, ionizing radiation, and dyes. But is it consumer trust worthy? Many people rely on trust when they are making decisions at the grocery store to buy new greens. In some places, such as Thailand, consumer trust is stopping them from selling organic food and is making a huge impact on the businesses there. When trying to get people to buy organic food, they need to be able to trust that the food is coming from the original organic supply chain. They want to be 100% sure that the product is actually organic. Some people believe that when companies label something organic it is just an excuse to charge more, basically just a fake advertisement. In a mall survey they had done they asked people how much trust goes into buying organic products, and if it is an important factor when purchasing food or not. Many people responded back with the answer that if they don’t trust the system the food comes from, they most likely won’t buy the food. They want factual proof that the food is organic which is an effort on their part as they will need to research what brands are trust worthy and what brands aren’t. This shows how important it is to understand what goes on in the process of what we think is healthier food. It all relates back to educating ourselves and putting forth the time and effort to keep our bodies healthy and clean. It is easy to assume that organic products are healthy just because the label says it is organic. But is organic food all that it says it is? Many people may not even be aware of this problem, but it is a big controversy and it is important to know and trust the food you are purchasing and where it is coming from.