Rotten Deal: Paying a Premium for Poor Organic Produce

Notes from the Field

By Tina Brillinger 

Working in the area of food safety has its advantages because it enables a person like me to learn about food recalls as soon as they happen. But in other ways, I gain insider knowledge that is decidedly not for the feint of heart. My expanded knowledge of how food is grown, slaughtered, rendered, processed, shipped, stored, sold and handled throughout the supply chain has altered the way I think about food, and the way I select it when I shop.

Living in an urban area, I am fortunate to have two grocery stores within walking distance of my home.  One is a major retailer and the other is an independent grocer. In recent years, the independent has quadrupled in size to keep up with growing demand for natural and healthy foods.  Even with the higher prices I had to pay, I found myself shopping there, even above the many local farmer markets I had previously patronized.