Organic food stores are cropping up all over the nation. Several big-chain retailers now feature an organic line of products which are offered to the consumer while specialty retailers are appearing across the land. Chances are good when you live in the mid-sized city or up there is one within biking distance if not walking. But you need to know how to get the most use out of an organic food store.
Be a Smart Shopper
A lot of persons think that organic foods are healthier for them-it is practical because you are not putting chemical substances which kill bugs inside your own body. But you do not purchase something that catches your eye at your local organic food store. That organic ice cream still has fat and sugar while that organic and natural roast beef might make you sick if you eat this raw.
What is It Take to be Organic?
With all the advertising these days, it is hard to find out when you purchase anything. This is also true when you are walking down the aisles of a food shop. Most organic food has had to be licensed since1990, with the Organic Foods Act passed by Congress. Recently, cuts of meat have been licensed by the USDA as organic. They are the labels you need to consider.
When a food with several ingredients such as a cereal is labeled organic, that means that 90% of the contents pass natural and organic standards. If you see something in the organic food store that says, “made with organic ingredients” you can safely bet that over 70% of the ingredients are organic. Lastly, if only a few of the ingredients are organic, food producers are allowed to show which ones on the packaging.
Organic Produce: The Secret is in the PLU
Organic produce is reputedly tastes better as compared with traditional. A lot of persons find that sticking with more natural growing processes and keeping the field or orchard as free of chemical compounds as possible is simply the best way to manifest good fruit. Actually, that is why many three- and four- star restaurants refer to organic produce only in making their dishes.
If something in an organic food store is claimed to be organic, there is a simple method that you can confirm it. Look at the label! This needs to have a four- or five-digit number on it, the PLU. Four is for conventional items while a five-digit number starting with 9 is for organic produce. But be aware! PLU’s comes in five digits starting with an eight, whereby the item is genetically-modified.
When choosing organic food, it is a great idea to get this in the right store. The best store needs to have cheap cash register or used cash registers which have a function to record and calculate sales transaction.