So, I was going through my local brand-new Whole Foods today, looking for frozen foods to justify my new freezer. The store is impressive and about one square foot short of violating the Wal-Mart laws. Every inch of the store screams wholesomeness, fitness and well just all-around good stuff. A culinary Disneyland for yuppies.
So, here I am cruising the frozen vegetable half-acre, stuffing my basket with organic this and natural that when I notice something on one label: Product of China. Hmmn. Isn't that the country that just executed their head food inspector because they were shocked, shocked, to find that bribery was going on there? Not sure I actually want organic edamame from a country that shoots their FDA boss. Maybe the non-organic stuff. Well, no, Product of China there too. How about the spinach? Ooops. Green beans? I'm noticing a pattern about now.
It turned out that over 50% of the vegetables they had for sale came from China. And that's just the house brands (the kind made by good people for other good people). Frankly, I just lost my healthy glow right then and there. Those three words seemed suddenly to be everywhere.
Now, I'm sure that Whole Foods has someone personally inspecting every People's Army farm and collective to make sure that organic means organic and that all standards are met. I mean, if they were just relying on Chinese assurances that all was on the up-and-up that would be, well, worrysome. Them shooting the guy in charge of that and all. But not his many deputies.
So I get home and look at what the other stores sell -- those nasty non-organic corporate behemoths like Ralph's and Safeway. Pretty much US produce. California. Washington State. Some stuff from Mexico or France. Even their overpriced organic stuff is local, and proud of it.
Whole Foods doesn't seem quite so whole to me today. Maybe I'm overreacting. I do that a lot. But right now I think I'll avoid Product of China, at least in food.
At least until it's safe for cats.
Posted by Kevin Murphy at July 15, 2007 09:59 PM | TrackBack