I recieved this email through the Sustainable Detroit Listserve.
It seems like good information on what companies like Kraft and Dean Foods, have bought out our favorite health food companies. Read on for the bad news and the good news.
As is often the case, the big corporate industrial agriculture conglomerates buy out the little environmentally and agriculturally responsible organic food producer and the quality (as many of us with powerful palates immediately notice) and safety goes down hill. Think: salmonella and rocket fuel residues.
As you know our once beloved Horizon milk made from Happy Cows was bought out by Dean Foods a few years back. As a result they were selling milk that came from cows raised in industrial conditions but still labeling the milk organic. Hopefully not just the USDA but the FTC will crack down on these corporations and sanction them for fraudulent marketing as we are paying more but not getting what we expect. Better yet they should be forced to disown the organic brands they bought out or best yet be forced out of business.
Until then, we can use these charts to make our own decisions as to what and what not to buy. They were created by an MSU professor, Dr. Phil Howard. The following might be diheartening (especially for a furious gourmet and chef like myself) as you might see your favorite brand in the list of those owned by a corporate industrial. There's hope though as there is also a small list of products that remain independent and hopefully refuse to become sell outs to the uscrupulous corporate food producers.
First the bad news:
http://www.cornucopia.org/who-owns-organic/
http://www.cornucopia.org/graphics/OrganicTop25Jul07.pdf
Here are some of the brands that sold out that are no longer the quality and safety you pay for.
Kashi - owned by Kellog who was discovered to be putting genetically modified or GM contaminated corn in their cereals.
Dagoba - owned by Hershey's chocolate suspected to be using child slave labor in Africa to pick their chocolate. Who knows what other shady business practices Hershey has gotten into.
Alta Dena, Horizon, and Whitewave Silk (eg. soy milk) products all bought out by Dean foods and so having their quality obliterated.
Boca foods (veg burgers), and back to nature sadly bought out by the fake cheese maker Kraft.
Odwalla is now Coca Cola
Naked Juice is now no better than Pepsi high fructose soda pop.
Muir Glen (NOOOOOO!!!!!!) and Cascadian farms owned by General Mills. (Oh please say it aint so!)
Yoghurts. Brown cow and Stoneyfield farms are unfortunately sell outs.
The good news:
http://www.cornucopia.org/graphics/OrganicIndJul07.pdf
Organic Valley, Newman's Own, Pacific natural, Applegate Farms and the dozens of local organic, small label producers are still free and independent and still maintain the quality and standards your tongue and cells crave.
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