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NYTimes Articles on Food, Drink, Culinary Culture 2013–

rotuts

By rotuts
in Food Media & Arts

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radtek

radtek

Posted
Posted

WF used to have a lot of quality bulk at reasonable prices. It was their edge and draw. WF went upscale and expanded and then an IPO- someone($) got gree

Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted

After criticism, Whole Foods defends food rating system...

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

rotuts

rotuts

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

thanks   that the only web page Ive ever seen that goes R to L and visa versa.

 

lets see what '365' is all about.

 

pleased to see that 'some' pesticides' are "best"

 

glad they are finally pointing this out.

 

:unsure:

Edited by rotuts (log)
heidih

heidih

Posted
Posted

Spin spin spin. Are consumers really relying on WF's ratings?  I rarely shop there and am lucky to be able to speak to the farmers at the Farmers Markets. Often they have signs that say not certified but no pesticides used and the like. If they are able to elaborate and I have a good feeling then sure I will buy some lovely produce (with a few bug holes) I don't feel comfortable with WF's "statistical algorithm" on sustainability.

Deryn

Deryn

Posted
Posted

In fact, as far as I can figure out, the 'good', 'better', 'best' ratings have to do with 'environmental' stuff and not really with whether the produce, etc. is organic or conventional. By that system, apparently an organic item can rate below a conventional one or the conventional above the organic depending on how one decides to order it (IF the appropriate paperwork is filled out by the conventional grower - whether truthfully or not - and/or if the organic farmer doesn't fill it out, again truthfully or not).

 

Seems to me that either they are completely getting out of labelling anything organic or they want to reduce (again) the amount of organic stuff they carry by deluding the buyer into thinking that 'best' conventional will always be better than anything lower 'organic' - when indeed they are not about the same thing at all. A farmer reducing his water needs or saving the whales, for me, has nothing to do with the heirloom quality or lack of GMO's etc. associated with the (organic) product on the shelf.

 

If WF begins leaving off the organic signs completely (so far I have not seen them do this), this (occasional) customer will not be a happy camper. And like an elephant .. I do not forget. I will ignore these new 'ratings' as I don't see them as pertinent to what I want to buy - even if that is blasphemy to some.

 

We'll see how long this lasts. I do not think it a wise move on their part.

Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted

Caveat Emptor!

It's marketing hype...just a label...take or leave it.

  • Like 1

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

weinoo

weinoo

Posted
Posted

WF used to have a lot of quality bulk at reasonable prices. It was their edge and draw. WF went upscale and expanded and then an IPO- someone($) got gree

The WF I shop at still does.  And a pretty friendly staff, to boot (tattoos included).

 

As DDF mentions above, it's always caveat emptor.

 

Now that ConAgra and Cargill are in the "organic" business, it's a whole different ball game. Perhaps by changing their rating system, or whatever the hell you want to call it, you allow some small farmers to remain in the game. 

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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radtek

radtek

Posted
Posted

I didn't say all staff at WF, but the checkers. Their peer approval hiring process is a mistake IMO. And perhaps the problem is only endemic in my locale.

 

Bulk has been whittled down to one side of an aisle in produce at the WF Quarry Market, I'd guess bulk totals less than 2.5% of what they carry in their stores. Anyway, my beef isn't with some arbitrary rating system designed to generate profits for Whole Foods, but in they way they priced their original customers out of the game.

Honkman

Honkman

Posted
Posted

At least here in San Diego all WF shops are really good in supporting small local farmers with opportunities to sell their produce in store (organic and non-organic (some of the farmers can't pay the money for the organic certification but wirk within the rules). Farmer's Markets are great (and it is important to build telationships to your farmers) but it is also good for them to have other ways to sell their stuff.

Two Foodies - One Journey
Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

I heard a related story on NPR, but missed some of the detail. Thanks for this link.

I'm surprised that "breaking" (liquid) eggs are usually so much cheaper than whole eggs. Does the cost of packaging per egg so outweigh the cost of breaking, filtering and repackaging said egg?

It's also interesting that H.E.B. restricted the number of cartons per customer because the commercial users were buying out their stock. I applaud H.E.B. for remembering their customer base.

  • Like 2

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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AlaMoi

AlaMoi

Posted
Posted

liquid egg does not have the same "restrictions" - i.e. size/shape/color as shell eggs.  basically (near) 100% of production can be cracked, bagged, pasteurized and sold....

 

they are washed & inspected, they need not be re-sealed.  the volume for refrigeration / storage / transportation is much less.

blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted

I heard a related story on NPR, but missed some of the detail. Thanks for this link.

I'm surprised that "breaking" (liquid) eggs are usually so much cheaper than whole eggs. Does the cost of packaging per egg so outweigh the cost of breaking, filtering and repackaging said egg?

It's also interesting that H.E.B. restricted the number of cartons per customer because the commercial users were buying out their stock. I applaud H.E.B. for remembering their customer base.

Here's a link to the NPR story on egg prices that I heard last week.   They quote a McDonald's spokesperson as saying, "Our ability to provide our customers eggs is not impacted," so I'm glad my airport breakfast habits won't be impacted, even if the price is!

Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
Posted

 

that being said  a million years before WF

 

there was the CO-OP   

 

in the bay area

 

they had even more 'Bulk"

 

I remember the Co-Op ... I'd just recently moved to Berkeley and was surprised at that store ... never experienced anything quite like it.  I did have mixed feelings about the place, but overall it was a worthwhile place to shop.

 ... Shel


 

TicTac

TicTac

Posted
Posted

There is a bird flu epidemic in the US right now that is impacting this drastically.

 

One of my clients, an organic ingredients distributor, has egg replacements flying off the shelves to many companies using Eggs in their recipes.

rotuts

rotuts

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I grew up in Los Altos.  CA.

 

there was a CO-OP in Palo Alto and Los Altos.  it Palo Alto was stand alone and had wooden flours.

 

you became a member and saved your stubs for a year end rebate.

 

about 10 + years ago I went up to Dartmouth NH where I kenneled my labrador, and swung by Brattleboro VT.

 

the VT store also had wood floors.  Dartmouth much bigger

 

why ?  the NYTimes had a two page article on USA artisan cheese, and the source was the Cheese Man at the Brattleboro CO-OP

 

I took a lot of NH and VT cheese back to my father.  stunning stuff.

munchymom

munchymom

Posted
Posted

 

And I grew tired of being treated indifferently or outright rudely by their head-to-toe tattooed and pierced checkout staff at the register here in San Antonio. 

 

People must be more laid back down here in Florida. The head-to-toe tattooed and pierced checkout staff in the Whole Foods here are always super nice.

  • Like 1

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heidih

heidih

Posted
Posted

That sticker shock happened on Jan 2 for all the ridiculously cheap eggs

Deryn

Deryn

Posted
Posted

My local Asheville WF doesn't seem to have the 'good', 'better', 'best' signs up as yet - looked for them the other day. Guess this town is behind the times still but I am sure we will catch up soon. 

 

Didn't notice any tattoo'd/overly pierced/rude or indifferent checkout personnel either.

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