“Who gives a toss about tiny differences in vitamins and minerals? It’s totally irrelevant.” So says Green & Black’s founder and organic food pioneer Craig Sams in his combative column in this month’s leading trade publication Natural Products magazine.
On page 34 of the October 2012 issue, Sams argues that a fixation with tiny nutritional differences between organic and non-organic is behind the low-level point scoring – ‘organic is healthier for you’ and ‘organic is a waste of money’ – that distracts from the real issues, and which wastes a vital opportunity to make the case for organic’s clearest benefits.
Craig Sams’ articles in Natural Products are always a conversation starter in the natural foods industry – but on this occasion the magazine’s publisher Diversified Communications UK believe his comments could inspire a wider debate about the future of food and farming.
Commenting, Natural Products editor, Jim Manson, said: “The narrow focus on nutritional differences between organic and non-organic produce sets up a false argument and stops discussion of the far clearer benefits organic has to offer. Someone in the organic sector needed to point this out but to get people’s attention it needed someone of Craig Sams’ stature and experience to say it.”
“The fact is that people who regularly choose organic food also eat less sugar, fat, meat and additives and less food overall and tend to exercise more and generally lead a healthier lifestyle. Eating organic is part of it, but not the magic bullet,” says Sams.
Craig Sam’s October 2012 column is available to view in full via the following link: https://naturalproducts.s3.amazonaws.com/NP_pages.pdf.
The October issue also includes an article by Organic Farm Foods joint managing director Adam Wakely in response to Marco Pierre White’s Mail on Sunday piece ‘If the smug organic mob get their way’, which was published early last month. Wakely’s ‘Could the organic knockers change the record please’ on page 36 is available to view in full at https://naturalproducts.s3.amazonaws.com/NP_pages2.pdf.
Other stories this month include:
The natural industry warns that the MHRA’s advice on Echinacea for children under 12 is based on old data (page 5). A.Vogel, the company which owns the UK’s best-selling Echinacea brand, says official new advice by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is based on old data – not new findings – about side effects. (http://www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk/industry-news/mhra-echinacea-advice-%E2%80%9Cbased-on-old-data%E2%80%9D/)
A special report from the HFMA (Health Food Manufacturers’ Association) workshop on European Nutrition & Health Claims Regulation (NHCR) in London last month, sees executive director Graham Keen brand the claims deadlines as a “fantasy land” (page 8). The deadline will affect thousands of health food product packs and health store owners could face serious restrictions on their ability to communicate the health benefits of the products they sell. (http://www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk/industry-news/eu%E2%80%99s-health-claims-deadlines-are-%E2%80%9Ca-fantasy-land%E2%80%9D/)
Launched in 1993, Natural Products is the UK’s leading magazine for the natural and organic products industry. Published by Diversified Communications UK, the magazine mixes industry news, practical retail advice, the latest products, research, in-depth features, interviews, organic news, company news and comment and is seen as the must-read title within the industry.
For more information and to subscribe to Natural Products magazine, please visit http://www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk/subscription/subscribe-today/
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Notes:
Diversified Communications UK Ltd (Diversified UK) is a fast growing trade event organiser and publisher based in Brighton. Diversified UK’s portfolio includes Natural & Organic Products Europe, Natural Products Scandinavia, lunch!, SITS – The Service Desk & IT Support Show, camexpo, office*, Natural Products magazine and the Natural Beauty Yearbook.
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