Babies best customers for organic food
When it really matters, more and more consumers are going organic. Last week true lovers were sending organically grown red roses from Colombia, and committed parents were shopping at the many companies now supplying organic baby clothes.
But, from the point of farmers and processors who depend on the organic consumer, it’s baby food which has been the runaway success. In the UK Organix, founded in 1992 by Lizzy Vann, has taken an estimated 10.4% share of the baby food market. Their lead has been followed by the giants of the industry, such as Heinz, which sells about half of the UK’s baby food, and by Cow and Gate and Hipp.
As a result half of all baby foods sold in the UK are now organic, and the sector has become a huge outlet for organic food production.
Despite costing up to 20% more, organic baby foods have enjoyed steadily increasing sales. A major factor may have been bad publicity for conventionally produced baby foods, which often contain high levels of sugar and carry misleading labels, according to the Consumers’ Association. With parents already worried by the rising international problem of child obesity, organic is seen as the way to go, even though nutritionists advise that organic food is not necessarily better for children. No telling evidence has been produced to show that crops grown organically have a better nutrient content than those produced non-organically.
Official agencies generally have no view other than that babies and children should eat a healthy balanced diet. But with parents hearing of the rare occurrences of child fatality through salt overdose, and of genetically modified materials finding their way through the food industry, organic baby food manufacturers found it relatively easy to grow their sales. The trend has been welcomed by organic farmers, with the Soil Association in the UK adding a ‘Best Organic Baby Food’ section to its Organic Food Awards, for example.
Their 2004 winner, Truuuly Scrumptious Salmon & Broccoli, was picked by a distinguished panel of judges including Jamie Oliver, Sophie Grigson, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Darina Allen, Clarissa Dickson Wright, Raymond Blanc and Anton Mosimann.
Its producers, Janice Fisher and Topsy Fogg, met at ante-natal classes and started the business in response to the perceived lack of convenience products for organically-aware mums. In just two years they have increased production from 15 kg a day to more than 100 kg a day. They distribute via an online supplier and home delivery service, Olimia, and through selected organic outlets in the UK.
It hasn’t been all good news for organic baby food producers.
Analysis last year by the Food Standards Agency in the UK found that organic baby foods had higher toxin levels than conventional products.
The food watchdog agency bought 124 samples of different brands of baby food, and three of the four products with the highest levels of toxins in their investigation were organic. None of the 10 baby foods with the lowest toxin levels had the organic label.
The Soil Association claims that eating organic food reduces the amount of toxic chemicals ingested; avoids GMOs; reduces the amount of food additives and colourings; increases the amount of beneficial vitamins, minerals, EFAs (essential fatty acids) and antioxidants consumed; and appears to have the potential to reduce the incidence of common conditions such as cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies and hyperactivity in children.
These are just a sample of the blizzard of claims and counter-claims in the food industry for organic and conventional products.
The debate is ultimately fuelled by the millions of euro of profits at stake. And it could be billions, if organic manufacturers succeed in giving baby and toddler consumers the organic habit.
