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Dr. Mercola

March 12, 2007
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Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

If you've read Michael Pollan's great book, Omnivore's Dilemma, you know America's preeminent organic grocery store chain, Whole Foods, was roundly criticized, setting off an ongoing dialogue between the University of California Berkeley professor and CEO John Mackey.

Those discussions culminated in a recent debate between the two about the past, present and future of food at Berkeley, as well as some of the actions Whole Foods is taking, all with the understanding the word organic doesn't mean what it once did.

Along those lines, Whole Foods plans to develop a multi-tiered system for rating organic farms and meat producers over the next year -- creating more transparency in the food chain -- that they believe could be the basis of a national system. For now, Pollan suggested a marketplace where supermarket organic and farmers' market organic may co-exist.

UC Berkeley News February 28, 2007


Dr. Mercola's Comment:

I hope you enjoyed this eye-opening interview with the CEO of Whole Paycheck, oh sorry, Whole Foods as much as I did. There simply needs to be a more affordable way for you to obtain healthy foods than what is currently available.

I am starting a new company very soon with some of the leaders in this movement who have developed hydroponic systems for NASA and Walt Disney World. It is clear some radical innovations are needed in this area to provide high-quality food produced locally and conveniently at an affordable price.

We hope to provide an amazing solution in the next year, but until then the take-home message from all of this: Pay more attention to the foods you eat, where they come from, and make smarter choices for your optimal health. Your best and safest solution is to find local suppliers for the foods you eat.

Demand is high for organic foods these days, and organic supermarkets like Whole Foods can be both expensive and impersonal. However, a diet based on whole organic foods does not have to be cost-prohibitive for the average family or single consumer. One way to keep costs down is to visit farmers' markets and use Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs.

Another advantage of doing this is that, when you buy local food, it is fresher since it did not have to be transported many pointless miles to get to you. This improves both its health value and its taste.

Related Articles:

Is Organic Good Enough?

Your Family Could be Eating Organic Food for the Same Price as Processed Foods -- or Less

Is Your Grocery Store Running Out of Organic Foods?

 
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Article's Comment     ( 14 Comments )
 
 
 +5 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Bryan - oz4caster   
Apprentice User
  
[ Joined on 06/06 ]
[ Posted on March 12, 2007 ]
Post Reply
Thanks Dr Mercola for passing this on.  This sounds like good news.

I buy some of my organic groceries at Whole Foods and I'm glad to hear they are taking steps to improve the quality of these foods.

I'm fortunate to get raw pastured dairy and pastured eggs from nearby farms, but I still rely on Whole Foods for "grass-fed" meats and "organic" vegetables and fruits.  The nearest local farmers market is 5 times farther travel distance, so I don't make it very often.  I wish there were more farmers markets.

 
 +3 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY LM36   
Apprentice User
  
[ Joined on 12/06 ]
[ Posted on March 12, 2007 ]
Post Reply
Whole Foods has 193 locations in N. America and the UK.  Their business model seems equivalent to Wal-Mart: buy up all the smaller competitors so you can compete against the big boys.  Well, we are about to approach a threshold where half the people buy organic and half buy conventional.  I agree that we need a leader in this market and I am happy to hear about reviewing what exactly the word organic means.  At some point are we all going to be buying organic and paying astronimical prices?  It appears that is where we are headed, so eventually when organic is the majority there will have to be a price shift from: only the rich can afford vs. a low-income family can afford.  The poor cannot afford these foods and that is why they shop at Food for Less and we all know what that adds up to: sick, unhealthy, financially strapped people who stress the healthcare industry.  We cannot allow big business to compromise or manipulate the word organic. 

 
 +2 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Lex   
Novice User
  
[ Joined on 06/06 ]
[ Posted on April 02, 2007 ]
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I think it's important that we not malign Whole Foods because they are not perfect.  They are open to improving their processes and have made a larger impact than any other organization or business in raising awareness and providing healthy nutrition options.  Eating local and eating organic is not an either/or issue.  IF we demand both, we will as consumers create the responsive marketplace we desire.  Our nearest Whole Foods is working hard to buy locally as much as possible and more all the time, and their signage in the store is very clear in pointing out what is local, what is not; what is organic, what is not; and place of origin for products.  Lets support businesses who are trying, while making it clear what more we need as consumers.  Successful businesses are a key to our economy, it's our job to help them improve just as we're trying to help ourselves.

 
 +2 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Josh Rubin   
Moderator User
  
[ Joined on 06/06 ]
[ Posted on March 12, 2007 ]
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My opinion as I have stated many times is that health is taking responsibility for yourself. That comes down to knowing, researching, etc everything you put in your mouth. Even though is says organic, does not mean that it is good for you. Yes it may be "better," but than what? Are organic cookies good for you? They still have sugar, gluten, etc in them??

As for Wholefoods, we stopped shopping there years ago. I feel that they have turned into mostly an organic and expensive "high end" natural and conventional food markety. We started to shop at Jimbo's which is mostly organic. Still though, we do our research on the brands, farms, etc we buy from. That is health!

 
 +2 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Russ Bianchi   
Savvy User
  
[ Joined on 09/06 ]
[ Posted on March 12, 2007 ]
Post Reply
Pollan, a journalist, has brought good debate, and illumination, to the current massive corruption of food labels in the USA.

On Whole Foods shelves you will find a very wide variety of brands (many identical at much lower cost elsewhere), hence the GROWING nick-name of: "Whole Paycheck".

Additionally, Whole Foods has a long history, in their growth, of playing FAST & LOOSE themselves with labeling, even in their own brands & unlabeled over the counter deli or bakery goods.

Now an even bigger 800 pound gorilla, having bought their main competition Wild Oats, you should have LESS confidence in ANY affirmation by Whole Foods they will implement another layer of rating system(s) (all ready being done in other mainstream supermarket chains in the northeast) in a fair or evenhanded fashion, if it harms their bottom line, shareholder value, or increased sales.

In point of fact, WF has become an upscale mainstream grocer. 

I remind you that WF for years refused to acknowledge the MALTITOL was a non GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), highly laxative, artificial, and cancer causing polyol sweetener rejected, for GRAS status even at FDA in 1994, & was further touting maltitol on their web site & definitions as 'natural from sea weed, but might cause intestinal discomfort if over consumed', after being shown HARD evidence to the contrary.

The list is long & sorted in PHONY, DECEPTIVE & NONCOMPLIANT ingredients WF are NOT policing ALREADY in their stores (for example "evaporated cane juice" as noncompliant & false descriptor for white refined 'sugar').

Again, it is important to note that the organic certifiers out there are SELF-APPOINTED.  There is no assurance they are really regularly inspecting crops or fields.  Many, not all, are PAPER WHORES  created merely for giving certificates for $$$!

 
 +1 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY spuddyboy