Costco Connection - January 2006

inside costco

BuyingSmart

Consumer reporter Pat Volchok gives a behind-the-scenes look at Costco products and services.

Go_ing _theCostco expands its selection of

organic foods organıc way

WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE about organ They are full-flavored, have no chem hancements and are produced using able growing practices. The only d is high prices—but even this sho is no longer valid for those of us Costco members. “Costco’s expansion into organ was always just a matter of when, not Tim Rose, Costco senior vice pre corporate foods. “Less than 10 perce farms are organically certified, so it awhile for us to lock in enough or certified growers.” Costco’s timing couldn’t be better foods are a favorite of consumers, w jumping as much as 21 percent ann cording to the Organic Trade As ( www.ota.com). To many, buying org resents not only the best source of wholesome, pure food available, but also a mandate to change conventional agricultural methods to ways that are better for the earth and its inhabitants. So what does “organic” mean? F a crop to be legally classified as organ it must first be grown without the us most synthetic and petroleum-de pesticides and fertilizers, antibiotic netic engineering, irradiation and sew sludge for three consecutive years. O ganic animals must eat 100 perce organic feed with no animal bypro and, in the case of dairy cows, the w must have eaten organic feed for at previous year. Organic foods, unlike natural f certified and rated by the U.S. Depar Agriculture (USDA) with one of th on their label: “100% ORGANIC” desi all-organic product, “ORGANIC” is used percent or more of the product is or “MADE WITH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS” least 70 percent of the ingredients are (“Natural” foods, while processed m and often without artificial flavors o sweeteners or preservatives, can b using conventional methods, wh include pesticides.) ₈₂_The _Costco _Connection _JANUARYic foods? At Costco, organic foods are supplied by ical en- a variety of small regional farmers and large sustain- national producers. Some of these foods have rawback Costco’s special Kirkland Signature™ label. The rtcoming good news about Kirkland Signature organics who are is that they must offer at least 20 percent savings and quality equal to or better than the lead-ic foods ing national brand. if,” notes Here’s a look at what’s in the warehouses. sident of nt of U.S. has taken ganically