Don't Check Your Brains at the Cash Register: Whole Foods

Encouraging shoppers to research what they buy has always been my mantra. In my shopping reviews of health food stores, I have mentioned that Whole Foods tends to be more expensive for the same products found at Natural Grocers and other health food stores. Once we found the identical bottle of vitamins (same brand, quantity, etc.) and Whole Foods was charging $4 more per bottle than Natural Grocers which was across the street.

But, price is not the only thing I said to watch for. Much of the fresh produce that Whole Foods sells is commercial: that means with pesticides. Why Whole Foods would sell them in the first place boggles my mind, but the unsuspecting shopper might assume everything they buy at the jolly green giant is organic, and forget to read the label.

Now Whole Foods has another black eye. They are selling products labeled "organic," "USDA certified," and "FDA certified" --- but they are grown in China. Neither the USDA nor the FDA has inspectors in China. Whole Foods says they have local farm inspectors working in China for them. However, the incoming inspections made by the USDA say most products coming in from China are poor quality and get rejected.

So, what are we buying?
Watch the ABC News investigation on this subject, and be a smarter shopper!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBiI9KcJ9UY&sns=em

Jonni