CONNECTIONS to HEALTH

Don't Let Organic Food Packaging Fool You! This article originated with Dr. Mercola   The practice of branding a processed food as natural or organic, called greenwashing, involves a number of marketing tricks, according to this interesting New York Times essay. Greenwashing, when it is used on food packaging, makes use of specific colors, images, and typefaces to sell food. If the packaging works, then the food inside does not actually have to be organic; an impression of organic-ness is all that is required. Signifiers of greenwashed packaging include an image of a field or a farm, and possibly oversized vegetables or fruits. Naturepops packages, for example, show a field of lollipops and a barn. Other greenwashed packaging shows an animal displaying special skills or emotional range, or promises of donations to charitable causes. This kind of imagery is now being adopted by corporate food conglomerates such as Lay's potato chips ("Natural Lay's") and others. New York Times January 3, 2007 Perhaps, the mainstream media and more consumers are becoming a bit more aware, as you are, that slapping an organic label on just about any food product you find in a grocery store is likely to be an eye-catcher, but doesn't magically transform it -- think an organic doughnut -- into a healthier one. Take, for example, friendly animals displaying human traits, like the cows on cartons of Horizon Organic Milk dancing a jig, even though the milk is pasteurized and some organic experts argue Horizon cows don't see much pasture ... or packaging with the word NATURAL in bold letters, promoting a false sense of safety where none really exists. Some advertising experts believe the organic trend may be coming to an end very soon, especially with the wake-up call of products like NATURAL Cheetos hitting grocery store shelves. Others predict the greenwashing trend may linger for up to five years before consumers begin to demand to know more about the food products they buy. Always remember, just because someone slaps an organic label on a food product, that label does not somehow magically transform a junk food into a health food. Organic sugar and processed foods are every bit as pernicious to your health as non-organic junk foods.