Marketing efforts for organic foods should put more focus on altruistic aspects such as the environmental and animal welfare aspects if they are to have sustained growth in the sector, say researchers.
Some organic ingredient suppliers are seeing sales rebound as market conditions improve across Europe, but there are still wide variations between countries, according to Organic Monitor.
Yesterday a large scale scientific review revealed that organic produce may not be more nutritious than ‘conventionally’ produced goods. But since that isn’t the main reason people buy them, does it really even matter?
DD Williamson looks set to benefit substantially from regulatory changes on both sides of the Atlantic, including the harmonisation of organic standards, the company claims.
European meat producers looking to ship organic products to the USA will be put at a disadvantage under the new EU-US organic equivalence agreement, which came into effect on 1 June, according to one British organic expert.
Star-K Kosher Certification has begun providing triple inspections to certify plants and products as non-GMO, organic and kosher, which it says can save companies time and money on individually conducted inspections.
UK organic dairy processor Yeo Valley insists it will remain consistent to its values as a “fun, family and sustainably run” farm that preserves its organic focus as it grows, despite Soil Association figures showing that overall organic category sales...
Sales of UK organics dropped by 3.7% in 2011 amid a global market upturn, exasperated by difficult trading conditions but caused by a lack of investment and innovation in this sector, according to a report by the Soil Association.
A new organic trade deal between the EU and the US will eliminate much of the costs for producers, particularly small and medium scale firms, looking to leverage both markets, claim trade groups.
Industry should put effort into increasing awareness of organic logos because “very few” consumers trust generic labels with the prefix ‘organic’, say researchers.
Nutrastar is to develop its organic and speciality foods business in an 18 month expansion plan with annual production capacity set to increase to more than 6.5m kg of organic produce.
Questions remain over whether organic foods are anyway superior to their conventional counterparts in terms of health promoting compounds, safety and sensory quality, or if no significant difference exists, find Irish researchers in a new meta-analysis.
The first organic dairy factory has opened in Lebanon, Romania’s market is growing at 20%+ and in India, forecasts are for quadruple growth by 2015 as developing economies embrace organic production of foodstuffs.
Chr Hansen has an organic food colour project at development stage in the US although the Danish supplier said the market is unlikely to become significant in the near term.
The vast majority of organic food operators in Finland were in compliance with EU regulations last year, according to the national food safety agency Evira’s report following the 4367 inspections in 2010 – but control decisions should be taken more quickly.
Rosemary extracts can now be used as antioxidants in organic food in the EU provided they are from organically-grown rosemary and ethanol is used for the extraction, following an amendment to the annex of the 2008 organic regulation.
UK organic fortunes are not all grim, says the trade director, who points out high-growth categories. But ushering in a new era of overall growth will require better communication, broad availability of organics in supermarkets, and supportive government...
The UK organic sector is ‘cautiously optimistic’ that the market is leveling off after a year of slowing decline in sales, but much depends on consumer confidence after the government spending cuts are implemented this month.
Eight organisations from as many European countries have formally announced the creation of the Leading Organic Alliance (LOA), a grouping which will co-operate closely to push at the boundaries and definitions of what is ‘organic’.
Negative reporting of another study comparing organic and non-organic products in the UK may support the Soil Association’s belief that the sector is viewed more sceptically – by government as well as media – in Britain than in other parts of Europe.
DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) has ruled out financial support for the organic industry, despite producers saying they stand alone and a Soil Association (SA) report damning Whitehall’s “diffident, if not lazy” approach.
Major players in Europe’s organic meat industry have expressed relief after the European Commission (EC) chose not to ban the use of nitrates and nitrites for curing products.
Governments need to implement reforms and promotions to make organic products more attractive to convenience- and price-driven consumers if the organic market is to increase substantially, says a new study.
Fortunes for the organic food and drink market in Europe are patchy, according to a new report from Organic Monitor, with Sweden and France seeing double digit growth while other countries stagnated or even contracted.
The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has issued a non committal response to European Commission proposals to ban the use of nitrates and nitrites in organic cured meats from the end of this year.
A UK consumer study has uncovered serious misunderstandings about what ‘organic’ food is, with one in four people admitting confusion and one in five believing organic food is lower in fat.
The new European organic logo is now mandatory on pre-packaged organic food and beverage products produced in the bloc, after new labelling regulations came into force on July 1.
The EU has agreed to match almost £1m funding raised by the UK organic sector to promote the benefits of organic food and farming to consumers over the next three years.
More information and promotional campaigns would help consumers gain experience and expertise of organic vegetables, concludes a study investigating knowledge, attitudes, and consumption.
The European organic sector is today meeting in Rome to review the benefits and drawbacks of new organic regulations a year and a half after their implementation.
Are organic foods healthier? The sad truth is that nearly 100,000 studies later, we just don't know. Meanwhile, this lack of certainty presents major business opportunities for the organic food industry.
Organic food brands are turning to sustainability in an effort to justify their price premium and combat declining sales, according to Organic Monitor.
UK sales of organic food fell 13 per cent last year but some categories still bucked the trend, according to a new report from the Soil Association on the state of the organic market during 2009.
The European Commission has today announced the winner of its contest to design a new logo to appear on all organic food and beverage products in the European Union: a leaf-shaped design from Germany that attracted 63 per cent of the votes.
Organic food sales in much of Europe have held up in the recession, bucking fears that the price premium would put off consumers, according to Organic Monitor.
Organic products sold at France's big retailers can cost up to 72 per cent more than their non-organic equivalent, finds fresh research that brings the price-organic debate into sharp focus.
The Soil Association (SA) has denied that organic food is too expensive, pointing out that many organic products are cheaper than their branded non-organic equivalent.
Waitrose’s move to rescue Prince Charles’ Duchy Originals food brand is not indicative of a downturn in the UK organic food market, experts have claimed.
A new review from France has concluded that there are nutritional benefits to organic produce, on the basis of data compiled for the French food agency AFSSA. The conclusion opposes that of a UK study published last month.
Market research organization IGD has concluded that the organic food sector needs to do more to build consumer awareness of organics’ wider benefits to avoid losing customers to other ethical issues.
Despite losses of £36 million (€41.8 million), Whole Foods Market’s British operation is making progress in the UK and will continue to expand, according to reports.
The Food Standards Agency in the UK is standing by its study comparing evidence of nutrient content in organic versus conventional foods, claiming “irresponsible interpretation” has led to misleading claims about higher nutrient levels in some organic...
Slovenian firm Vitiva has received US organic certification for its rosemary extract lines AquaRox and Inolens, which are used in foods, supplements and cosmetics products for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
A new review of studies on the nutritional content of organic and conventional produce has broadly concluded that there are no differences – but the investigators raise big concerns over standard of the science.
Parents are more interested in the source of ingredients in baby foods than in whether or not they are organic, according to manufacturers questioned for a new report.
UK supermarket Tesco says it has seen sales of its premium, organic and fair-trade products return to growth this year, as special offers on top notch goods convince shoppers that they are good value for money.
