inside
costco
BuyingSmart
Consumer reporter Pat Volchok
gives a behind-the-scenes look
at Costco products and services.
Going the Costco 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is no longer valid for those of us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 JANUARY ic 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
By Pat Volchok
. Organic
ith sales
ually, ac-sociation
anic rep-
or
ic,
e of
rived
s, ge-age
r-nt
ducts,
hole herd
least the
oods, are
tment of
ree seals
gnates an IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPHY
when 95
ganic and
means at
organic.
inimally
r colors,
e grown
ich may
Comparing apples to apples
Organic Sliced Apples
Date 10/27 Price per lb. Costco‘s Savings
Retailer A $4.16 lb. 36%
Retailer B $4.64 lb. 43%
C
ostco $2.66 lb.