Sludge Watch ==> Sludge-free: Jump in Sales of Organic Baby Food

[Maureen Reilly]

http://www.mercurynews.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=5778720&siteId=568

Organic baby food grows into a healthy little market
By Therese Agovino
Associated Press
San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:04/29/2007 01:37:53 AM PDT


NEW YORK - Pauline Amell-Nash worried that the pesticides and additives used 
to grow and preserve food were bad for her 1-year-old daughter Sophia, not 
to mention the earth itself. That's why the pureed carrots, sweet potatoes 
and fruits Sophia ate were purchased from makers of organic baby food.

"She is so small I just thought that the more pure, honest things she ate 
would be better for her," the Claremont mother said. "I also thought it 
benefits the environment. I want to raise my child with an idea of social 
responsibility."

The environment has become a very hot topic these days, especially among 
parents who want to protect their children's health and the world they'll be 
inheriting. Parents like Amell-Nash are propelling a surge in organic baby 
food sales, and that has prompted more companies to either join or expand 
their offerings in the sector.

Organic food still accounts for a tiny portion of the overall baby food 
market, but it is definitely growing. Whole Foods Market said it has tripled 
the space allotted to organic baby products in the past five years. Last 
year, baby food institution Gerber Products rebranded and broadened its 
organic line, while Abbott Laboratories introduced an organic version of its 
Similac baby formula.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture inspects food producers to insure they 
meet its standards for organic products. They include banning the use of 
conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or 
sewage sludge for produce, and antibiotics or growth hormones for animals.

Organic baby food sales soared 21.6 percent to $116 million in the 52 weeks 
ended Feb. 24, after jumping 16.4 percent a year earlier, according to the 
Nielsen Co. Meanwhile, overall baby food sales rose 3.1 percent to $3.7 
billion in the same period, after being essentially flat a year earlier. The 
data was gleaned from U.S. grocery, drug and mass market retailers, 
excluding Wal-Mart.

Gerber Products replaced its Tender Harvest brand last year with a line 
called Gerber Organics and added products such as cereals, juice and food 
for toddlers.

The change was meant to make it more evident that the food was organic, said 
Anna Mohl, vice president of marketing-infant nutrition at the baby food 
maker owned by Novartis AG and now being sold to Nestle SA.

"We needed to be more explicit," Mohl said. While Tender Harvest, which was 
introduced in 1997, was selling well, its growth wasn't matching the overall 
organic baby food category, she said.

Mohl said Gerber didn't consider leaving the category because she believed 
moms wanted to purchase organic baby food from a brand they trusted. She 
declined to give the brand's sales.

Big companies aren't the only ones addressing the demand for organic baby 
products. Two years ago, Gigi Lee Chang started Plum Organics, a line of 
frozen baby foods, now a very hot area, according to Whole Foods officials.

Lee Chang got the idea to start the company when she heard friends talking 
about her son's healthy appetite. She decided that the organic foods she had 
been preparing for him might be a good business opportunity. The products 
are sold nationally and an extension of the line is planned for later in the 
year.

Freezing the food instead of jarring it retained more freshness and 
nutrients, she said, adding, "By freezing, I'm trying to replicate the 
homemade aspect."

Producers said adhering to the USDA regulations makes organic foods cost 
more, but parents are willing to pay the difference.

For example, a 25.7-ounce container of organic Similac formula retails for 
about $27.50, while the traditional brand would cost $23.50, according to 
Scott White, vice president-pediatrics-U.S. at Abbott Nutrition. Gerber said 
its organic products cost about 30 percent more than its traditional baby 
foods.

Camille Fremed, mom to 20-month-old twin sons, said the additional cost 
isn't a huge burden and believes organic is worth the expense. "I'll scrimp 
on other things," said Fremed, a tech project manager who lives in 
Ridgefield, Conn. She favored the Earth's Best brand because it offers lots 
of variety.

White said Abbott entered the organic formula market because there was an 
interest from moms.

"There is no clinical evidence to say the product is better or healthier," 
White said. "Moms feel better using it. It is a lifestyle choice."

Doctors said parents shouldn't feel guilty if they can't afford the extra 
expense. The USDA doesn't claim that organic food is safer or more 
nutritious than conventionally produced food, and the American Academy of 
Pediatrics has no official stance on the subject.

Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, chief of neonatology at the Medical College of Georgia 
in Augusta and a member of the pediatrics academy's committee on nutrition, 
said there is no evidence that organic baby food is better or safer.

Raisa Lilling uses organic food in meals she prepares for her daughter 
Elliana because it is less expensive than buying pre-made products. She 
notes Elliana hasn't had many of the stomach problems and ear infections 
common in other infants.

"I believe she'll be healthier as an adult," said Lilling, who lives in 
Santa Monica. "It is worth all the extra work."