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Inside Scoop: Organics from China

By Paige Brady, June 4, 2008  |  Meet the Blogger  |  More Posts by Paige Brady
I’ve been hearing some questions about whether it’s possible to get organic products from China, so I went to Margaret Wittenberg to find out the inside scoop. Margaret has been with Whole Foods Market for about 27 years and she served on the National Organic Standards Board and helped write the USDA Organic Rule, so I figured she would be in the know. (Transparency alert: Margaret was my Team Leader for many years and I love this woman. Her integrity is unbelievable!) Anyway, here’s a quick blurb from Margaret on the whole organics in China deal:
Whole Foods Market is a transparent company. We take pride in informing our customers about where our products come from so they can make conscious buying choices. The reality nowadays is that sourcing high quality organic products has gone global. Many companies play the game of sourcing ingredients from one country and packaging them elsewhere so they can be labeled from the country they were packaged in. Not at Whole Foods Market. For example, our Private Label team sources a few high quality organic products from China and we let our shoppers know that up front. We go to great lengths to ensure that the quality and organic integrity is there every step of the way, whether we are sourcing our products from around the corner or around the globe. We are proud of the processes, safeguards and protocols we have in place and we want our customers to know exactly what we do when it comes to sourcing.
If you want to know more about our organic sourcing, check out “Sources You Can Trust” – new info just posted to our website. We plan to have more on this topic this Friday. Got a specific question about organic sourcing? Let me know and I’ll try to make sure it is answered with the info posting Friday.
Category: Food Issues
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janejohnson says ...
@Deacon Thank you for your concern about the quality of the products we are sourcing. We understand your interest in providing yourself and your family with only the highest standard in organic products. For information on the quality foods we are sourcing from China, I encourage you to take a look at this information from the website “The R.O.C.K.” (Reaching Out with Communication & Knowledge.) This article should dissolve your fears. I’ve also copied the link below for an archived blog of ours discussing the viability of organics from China. Again, thank you for reaching out. http://rock/?p=968 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2008/06/is-organic-from-china-possible/
11/07/2011 5:09:46 PM CST
Joe Diaz says ...
I watched a disturbing report from ABC news about the source of your organic foods from China. Over the last ten years,I have spent thousands of dollars on your products. It is a slap in the face to learn that you sell supposedly organic products from China. I will never step into your stores again!!!!!!
11/08/2011 12:53:51 AM CST
janejohnson says ...
@Joe Please read the following blog post in response to a similar news brief. Joe Dickson, our respondent, is the Organic Certification Coordinator for Whole Foods and makes some pressing points regarding the contrast between the news story and Whole Foods stance. Thank you for your support and for reaching out on this matter. http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?s=organics%2C+china&x=0&y=0
11/08/2011 1:48:28 PM CST
Laura M. says ...
I just found out by reading on your website that you get some of your organic foods from China. I do not trust anything or any product from China. So I will read further to find out which products are from there so I can avoid them. Its bad enough that alot of your organic foods come from other countries. You can not possibly have the same quality control and standards in other countries, especially CHINA. Im sorry that you don't encourage more or our local farmers to grow organic food, but source outside our county because its cheaper. I also noticed that most of your produce is conventional. The other suppermarkets are catching up to your standards.
11/27/2011 7:33:59 AM CST
Kathleen says ...
I have seen a recent video of your "California frozen vegetables" from China (printed on the back), with an FDA stamp. How can you have an FDA stamp when the FDA has not been able to test any part of the growing process of these vegetables?! Having an FDA stamp WITHOUT "actual" FDA testing is defrauding the customer!
11/29/2011 10:37:17 AM CST
Hollie says ...
I have loyally shopped at Whole Foods for many years. I am deeply disappointed to discover the store is purchasing "organics" from China and have decided to shop at a different store. I find it highly unethical of Whole Foods to be buying food from a Communist country.
12/09/2011 2:27:30 PM CST
Karen Walters says ...
I do not and I will not buy anything from China. Thank you to let us know about your organics produce are coming from this communist country! It sure surprise me and I am revolted; What’s happened today with WHOLE FOOD integrity? I start to be one of your customer 17 years ago in South Austin, and I am very desapointed by your Inside Scoop about Organics from China… I'm with you Christine James. "Global marketplace" doesn't cut it. What about all of your values? Why not add customer deception to your list? Dallas/10 year loyal customer. What a disappointment! Be sure to read the fine print on the back.
12/10/2011 6:08:12 PM CST
lauren says ...
When you stop buying from China ..I will return to your store. I am very upset !
02/25/2012 1:23:30 AM CST
Kris says ...
We have always shopped at WF in the past. I will NOT buy any food item from China. They are known for poisoning everything from toys to food to meds.... Who knows what is in their soil....as they dump everywhere. NO explanation from Whole Foods will be sufficient. Not everything in WF is from China - however....I will take my money elsewhere. Word of mouth is everything..... share it on Facebook...Tell everyone you know - I did!
02/28/2012 1:36:08 PM CST
janejohnson says ...
@Kris As noted above, currently the only item we source organically from China are the 365 Organic Edamame. The product's origin should always be printed on the packaging if you're ever concerned about production. Thanks for reaching out.
02/28/2012 1:53:04 PM CST
Roger Grow says ...
Disturbed by the potential for abuse of the "organic" label given China's history. However, despite, WF's assurances about quality control, I simply don't want to buy ANYTHING from China if there is an alternative, and I cannot imagine food products not being available from a multitude of locations around the world. I can think of no food product grown ONLY in China that I cannot live without!
03/05/2012 10:33:42 AM CST
Beverly Shon says ...
please stand by the quality assurance of Whole Foods and avoid using anything from China. It simply hurts the good name of Whole Foods and discourages your faithful customers from continuing to shop at your store. Why sacrifice your good name and lose your loyal customers?
03/26/2012 6:38:08 AM CDT
Renee says ...
Importing "organic" products from China to Whole Foods is anything but "green". What about your "local is green" mantra? I would be very interested in knowing the carbon footprint of those organic products. These days, with increasing direct and indirect impacts from oil products, local is even more important than organic. Unfortunately, there is nothing ecologically responsible about importing from China.
03/30/2012 1:15:49 PM CDT
Phil says ...
With the desire for organic products continually increasing it was just a matter of time before Chinese imports started to occur. People need to realize that total organic certified crop and pasture land in the United States amounts to less than 1 percent of total farm acreage. We can't support our demand on that so it is essential that products are sourced from elsewhere. I would agree that I have some of the same concerns as others here, but proper quality programs have produced many good Chinese made products. Is the quality the same as products made here? Probably not, but are you willing to go without or pay increasing prices for scarce products? Also keep in mind that many of the production short cuts that have been the cause of problems in China were in use in the United States prior to regulation.
03/30/2012 1:21:04 PM CDT
sammy says ...
It is all about the profit. Hard to trust anyone. Unless we all stand up for our rights and understand that we do have the rights to actually know what we are putting into our bodies, our childrens growing bodies. I would rather eat very little of what is good than eat or support anything else. I think it is evil to make money off of people fooling them to think it is something it is not. Something big has to happen here. I am beyond angry.
04/17/2012 2:40:06 PM CDT
Truth says ...
Whole Foods - you have a tough sell. I noticed the made in china small print on your frozen organics, and the first thought that came to mind is that the store finally drunk the corporate kool-aid and put profits over quality. I do not buy food from China, much less organics. The country is corrupt, God knows what is in their food supply or who was bribed to get a contaminated product out the door. Whole Foods should know better and whoever the buyer is that thought this was a good deal for Whole Foods obviously has no clue, and should be fired. Disappointed, Truth
07/31/2012 7:45:03 PM CDT

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