Organic becoming the latest marketing gimmick - Business - CBC News

I was in the grocery store stocking up on supplies for a hot dog dinner with my daughter. Perusing the condiment isle, something caught my eye: a slick label and the word “organic” emblazoned on one of those upside-down plastic squeeze ketchup bottles.

I laughed. Now this is rich.

I compared prices, amid the myriad varieties of mustard and mayo. Seven hundred and fifty milliliters of organic ketchup cost almost $7. For twice the amount in the same brand, the regular ketchup was $5.50. It’s not the first time I’ve run into junk food purporting its virtues.

Recently, I let my daughter choose her own crackers. She came back to the cart with a notorious snack cracker; its box screeched that it was made with whole grains. Given these claims, I figured it was time to look at the fine print — you know, that write-up on the back called the nutrition label.

Between the organic ketchup and the plain ol’ stuff, the organic kind contained more sugar. I pitted the whole grain crackers against the ones made with real vegetables and the original ones I grew up on.

The real veggie crackers contained more sugar and more protein, but less calcium. The whole grains had less fat. At least the price point was the same for each. What’s a girl to do? Especially, a girl who is also a parent to a little girl?

A plethora of products and services exist to tap into our greatest fears and insecurities. There’s always something telling us it will make us thinner, faster, smarter, healthier, better if we just spend our money. This label “organic” — while it may very well be true — is a buzzword that many companies are savvy enough to tap into.

via Organic becoming the latest marketing gimmick – Business – CBC News.

Strange Random Organic Quote:

High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us? – Annita Manning

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