Organic Outrage

It's erev Shabbat and I'm not cooking! We've been invited out by friends for both dinner and lunch!

So there's time for me to comment briefly on an ad brochure that came in the mail from our local supermarket, King Soopers, which is part of the Kroger family of stores. We shop there quite often for a series of reasons, starting with the store being the closest to our house. Added to that, most recently, they opened a nice sized kosher section, although it does have its warts - not an ounce of fresh meat to be found, and outrageously high prices for the frozen. Only one brand of Borscht to choose from (ah, what do American goyim know from Borscht) but a whole aisle of Gefilte Fish that I can't afford to buy any more at current prices. But on the good side, when the store remodeled they put in a new bakery which is kosher, under the local Va'ad, even producing some items that are Pat Yisrael, for those who hold by that chumra (of which I am not one).

Perhaps most laudable, the store employs a significant number of handicapped folks. I'm sure it costs them a bit extra, but I don't mind paying a bit extra for that particular reason. What they're doing is important and indeed demanded by Jewish Law. After all, enabling someone to earn a living is the highest form of charity -Tzedakah.

Anyway, back to the ad - it was a "magazine" entitled "Exploring Your Organic Options," and including, of course, a bunch of coupons for various high-priced organic offerings.

Now don't get me wrong, I agree that in some cases organic choices are better, sometimes much better. But what King Soopers sent is in part outrageous, and in part amusing, and very typical of the health food scams sweeping America.

As is very often the case, the difference between what's organic, whats "healthy" and what's seen as "health food" is carefully blurred. And the pitches for mascara and pet food that include some organic ingredients would be laughable, if it weren't sad that some people may actually spend extra money on those - rather than perhaps donating the extra gelt to help feed less fortunate human beings ... an Organic Outrage, if you ask me.

To continue, the idea of food without pesticides is highly appealing. After all, mankind evolved eating food without pesticides. On the other hand, the issue of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) leaves me a bit cold. After all, evolution is based on genetic modification - that's the way Hashem created the universe to eventually lead to the emergence of man.

And as for fertilizers, no distinction is made between different fertilizers, but even organic food has to be and is fertilized. Otherwise the soil will rather quickly be depleted of its nutrients.

Finally, there is the issue of the recipes in the organic book.

Some of the ingredients are available organic, but not kosher. At least not in these parts. Others I'm not sure where to find them organically, kosher or not.

For instance organic yogurt (our local "organic" yogurt is made with gelatin derived from animals). Although I suppose that such yogurt is made with organic milk from organic cows (ever see a non-organic cow? Made of plastic, metal, nuts and bolts, no doubt.) Okay, okay all you organic fans - I know that if a cow eats feed with pesticide residue, maybe that residue will show up in the milk. But I also know that if you take gelatin made from perhaps a pig, or a cow that was diseased enough not be be kosher, and mix it with milk ... well that's just not the best way to keep kosher (please, I'll delve into all those intricacies some other year, just let it be said that we don't).

And organic canned pumpkin ... I know there is such a thing, but not here with kosher certification that I can find. Organic sweetened coconut flakes? Not likely here in the Rocky Mountains, far from the nearest palm tree.

And how about organic confectioner's sugar. I've never seen that. Or organic "whipped topping." Gee Mr. Sooper, if you're writing an "organic" recipe didn't it occur to you that the whipped topping in the store has ingredients that come right out of a mad chemist's lab? Couldn't you have maybe suggested organic whipped cream? Or isn't that socially correct, since the butterfat content of real cream is high and thus less healthy than a blend of: Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sodium Caseinate (from Milk) Natural and Artificial Flavor, Xanthan and Guar Gums, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Monostearate, Beta Carotene (Color). (That's what's in Kool Whip. Wonder if the mysterious secret 'Artificial Flavor' is organic.)

And my favorite in the organic recipes in the booklet ... a half cup of Kentucky Bourbon in the sweet potato crunch (um...there are no organic sweet potatoes at King Soopers either, or weren't this week). Is there an "organic" Kentucky Bourbon?. If so, please send a bottle for me to share at kiddush in shul.

No matter, the recipe calls for two organic eggs, which I can get - at $3.49 a dozen, compared to the 98 cents for regular eggs this week. Gosh, some of this organic stuff costs even more than keeping kosher (though organic milk, I note, is fresher and cheaper that the non-organic and often pre-soured so-called Chalav Yisrael we get in these parts.)

Anyway, time to go ...