ORGANIC FOODS–ANOTHER CONSUMER HOAX?1

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Abstract
Today's food industry is under great consumer attack. Consumer demands have served to increase the number of food products to 7,800; about 3,300–3,500 new products are introduced annually. Nearly all new products can be classified as convenience foods. With such a rapidly changing market, consumer confidence in the food industry has been lost and, because of confusion created, the consumer has become increasingly fearful of chemically contaminated foods. This fear is substantiated by increased public interest in so-called organic foods or organically-grown foods, proliferation of health food stores, and introduction of health food sections into supermarket chains. It is estimated that there are some 7 million organic food consumers, and that sales of natural foods (organic) will reach $500 million in 1972. Today only a limited number of organic farms and wholesalers of organic foods exist. The opportunity for fraud is great. A sign over an organic food section, or a label claiming “organic,” does not guarantee that the food was produced by organic methods. Since there is nothing unique about organic foods that differentiates them from products grown by conventional means, governmental agencies are reluctant to issue standards controlling movement of these products.

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