Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

re: Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

Lex_203 — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:39:01 GMT

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.

re: Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

annapavlova42 — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 04:31:58 GMT

No matter where you shop for your organic fruits and veggys, please be aware of this word organic. Always check the preface number, not the code bar, make sure the preface number is 9. If the preface number is not 9, then this is not certified organic. The food is invaded with hormons, gm, or and anti anything. Please buyers, beware.

Remember good people - without your health you have nothing.

So, what are you willing to give up for your good health?

re: Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

rawfoodie — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 03:04:04 GMT

I'm from Austin, TX the home of the first Whole Foods- I was a kid back then. Most of my friends from TX don't even CARE if it is organic or "farm raised" they want cheep! It is a tough market out there.

Yes, WF prices for nonorganic stuff can be higher than maybe Safeway, but if you are specifically looking for Organic produce and quality meats- no hormones, ethically treated animals, no antibiotics, free range, this is the place to get the best price on most of this stuff. I live in CA now and Trader Joes is the local competition and I feel like when I shop at WF I'm getting a better deal, I have more to choose from, and I'm not getting my organics prepackaged (which is a waste of resources). I've done my price comparisons and I buy almost all organic except what I can't find organic, and that is a pretty small percentage. Compared to some other mom's I know I maybe spend $100-$200 a month more than them, that's about $25-$50 dollars a week and they don't by ANY organics, and shop at Safeway or some other local chain. I mostly shop at Whole Foods, and more recently since spring has sprung at the local Farmer's Market. So, I think it can be done pretty easily, and the Whole Paycheck is simply an exaggeration.

I also want to support the local farmer and I'm encouraged by Whole Foods commitment to making it easier to buy local and organic produce. But sometimes I want strawberries in December and I can do that at Whole Foods and still have the organic pesticide free produce I want. I'm glad we are discussing this. I'm thankful for this website where people can get information, and for all of you who do care about these issues. I think supporting the efforts of anyone making organic food, less processed food, ethically treated animals, etc, available to everyone should be applauded not disparaged.

re: Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

Sarah J — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 17:54:31 GMT

Great article... I'll be buying the book. I shop at Whole Foods sometimes. It is far out of my way (at least a 50 minute drive) because the chain seems to cater only to the "yuppie" areas and towns. Those of us in blue collar areas have to spend the extra money for the gas to get there as well as the high prices. Also, I am a protein type as is my husband. Although Whole Foods does carry meat, I feel the store definitely favors vegetarians. However, that may be because more vegetarians shop there and the store is just addressing the largest customer base. I think there is a general message that seeps into the public which suggests that, if you eat meat, you are eating unhealthy food so why bother caring about the quality of the other food you eat. When I say I eat organic vegetables, people get it. When I say I eat meat from grass-fed sources, I get puzzled looks.

re: Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

spuddyboy — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 17:00:17 GMT

We were finally blessed to have a Whole Foods open here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last fall. Yes, I mean blessed. They have been part of a real improvement in commercial food sources opening up in the area. And while they fall short in meeting the exacting standards of purists, I frankly do not have time to spend 2+ hours driving to and from my local organic dairy more than every 2-3 weeks. In my opinion WF also gets a bum rap with the whole paycheck label. I have found that I need to comparison shop between WF and the local food co-op. With the items I buy most frequently, WF is cheaper on probably 65% of them. "Comparison shop" for high quality food in Milwaukee? It's a new day.

re: Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

SharonBarlow — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 15:03:49 GMT

Idaho does not have a local Whole Foods, but they will be here soon. We now can shop at the Boise Co-op, the local source for organic foods and humanely raised meat and chicken. (I don’t believe the Co-op is actually a co-op in the understood sense of the word.) They are expensive but I now stick to the periphery of the store and can come away after staying within my budget. They do offer locally raised products as well as imported ones. I personally choose food raised as close to home as possible. I moved here (after a spell in Alaska) about a year and a half ago and soon stopped at a local fruit stand and asked if they had any thing organic from the local area. The older gentleman working there said, “NO, there are too many bugs around here.” I have gone to local farmers markets and have found the choices disappointing. So I can’t say buying locally is the best choice for me and don’t romanticize that concept. On the other hand, I don’t buy produce, etc, from far away without a considered decision.

Anything as big as Whole Foods no doubt makes mistakes. But just because they do, it doesn't mean that the "little guy" doesn't.

re: Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

pinkskittles — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:58:33 GMT

(edited: sorry i misread. delete this please, since i can't)

re: Great Interview with Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

Saxman — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 04:47:00 GMT

While I have no idea why, I do know that even very small amounts of xylitol make both my husband and I horribly dizzy... To the point where I won't even get behind the wheel of a car and drive. Sometimes it's followed by an odd sort of headache that usually doesn't go away until I've taken a nap. I can't use it.

re: Great Interview with Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

pinkskittles — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:07:17 GMT

Michael Pollan's book is excellent. I've read it, and think it's another great book for everyday people without huge scientific vocabulary!

I don't like Whole Foods and have found a lot of problems with them here in Canada. Their cheese section, in all of the stores, is a catastrophe. Pasteurized cheeses labeled as raw and vice-versa, and people are believing them. I photographed all the signs that didn't correspond, noting that the wheel of cheese in be it Spanish, French, or another language, said the opposite of what the sign said. This angers me. "Raw milk" is being touted to sell when it's not even that. It's false advertisement. Whole Foods is just a big grocery store who just happens to be dealing with organics. It's industrial and in the money making business all the same, and mislabeling does not put them high on my standards. I prefer farmers' markets anyways, and small organic grocery stores that get as local as they can (though in the winter it's hard in Canada).

re: Great Interview with Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

Josh Rubin — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:25:43 GMT

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!

re: Great Interview with Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

Russ Bianchi — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:18:49 GMT

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 $$$!

re: Great Interview with Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

LM36 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:58:08 GMT

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.

re: Great Interview with Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

Bryan - oz4caster — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:33:26 GMT

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.