Product Name | 365 organic (Whole Foods) | |
Rating | (4) | |
Location | Austin, TX | |
Products | Fluid milk products | |
Market Area | Nationwide | |
Web Site | http://wholefoods.com/ | |
It
is impressive that over 90% of all name-brand organic dairy marketers
fully participated in the Cornucopia research study permitting their
customers to understand how their products are produced.
Unfortunately, 0% of private-label marketers (store brands) were
initially willing to participate. Whole Foods Market should be
applauded as the first retailer willing to be transparent with their
private-label products. This is a high ethical standard that consumers
should expect from organizations wanting to participate in this
industry.
Whole Foods has been diligent in their efforts to secure a source for their organic milk that is of high integrity and comes from family farmers, not industrial-scale factory-farms where most of their competitors (Trader Joe's, Wal-Mart, Costco, among others) are procuring all or some of their "organic" milk. Whole Foods Market writes: “Whole Foods Market is the world’s leading natural and organic
foods supermarket and America’s first national certified organic
grocer. The company’s line of 365 Organic Everyday Value
organic milk is available in whole, fat free, 1 percent and 2 percent
varieties. The milk is produced and distributed regionally
throughout the United States as close as possible to the communities in
which it is sold. It comes from a cooperative of organic family
farmers dedicated to pasture-based dairy production and to preserving
and expanding family farming as a way of life and a viable system of
production. |
Criteria | Points | Comments |
Ownership Structure | 60 | Investor-owned |
Milk Supply | 70 | Milk of integrity |
Disclosure of Information for Verification | 100 | Full and open disclosure |
Certifier farms | 100 | Most OTCO |
Certifier processing | 75 | QAI |
Cows on pasture time/acreage provided | 100 | Strong/enforced cooperative policy |
Health and longevity of cows | 100 | Very low cull rate |
Replacement animals only from organic farms | 75 | Organic animals purchased/minority conventional |
Antibiotics used on young cattle | 100 | Never |
Reproductive hormones used | 100 | Never |
Farm support oversight | 90 | All dairies and visited regularly by staff |
Outside dairy ingredients purchased | 100 | None |
TOTAL SCORE | 1070 |
FOUR COWS (excellent) |