The Sun Herald

Wealth Warning On Health Foods

Health food retailers are getting rich off the backs of public fear about consuming genetically modified foods and chemical overload. Prices tags on organic food are routinely marked up at least 100 per cent and a bag of groceries costs nearly three times as much as non-organic equivalents.

The Sun-Herald found some health food stores charging $21 for a litre of fruit juice while imported breakfast cereal from California cost $10.10. Organic Federation of Australia (OFA) president Scott Kinnear agrees that some organic food retailers are pushing prices to the limit.

"Prices are a real issue because the product is expensive in the first place and when small retailers put a 100 per cent mark up it puts the groceries out of reach for many people," Mr Kinnear said. "It's causing a real problem throughout the organic farming industry because as the industry gets bigger the produce should get cheaper not more expensive."

The OFA operates two shops in Melbourne and charges $4.95 for a box of imported Canadian breakfast cereal. "Anyone charging $10 for cereal is ripping you off," Mr Kinnear said. Occasional organic food shopper Cedric Bradshaw would like to eat more organic food but is not prepared to pay so much more for it. "I buy soup from the health food shop in Balmain and that's organic," Mr Bradshaw said. "It's the most delicious chicken and lentil soup so I don't mind paying $6 for a container, but charging $9 for a jar of peanut butter is appalling. They really are just cashing in on the genetically modified food scare."

But many organic food devotees believe they are paying for produce that is better for them, tastier and does less environmental damage that non-organic products. But Australia's leading nutritionist, Rosemary Stanton, rejects claims that organic food is better for you.

Ms Stanton, who grows organic fruit and vegetables for her own table, said: "There have not been any test results to show that organically farmed food is any healthier than chemically farmed foods. Organic farming is better for the environment but there's certainly no evidence to suggest that it's better for your body."

Organic farming is labour intensive. Chemical weeding for 1ha of carrots costs about $1,000 a year while hand weeding for the same area costs $10,000 a year. "I have never met a rich organic farmer," Ms Stanton said. "They aren't ripping people off, but reconstituted fruit juice selling for $8.60 is crazy." Big ticket imported organic foods should be struck off the list by consumers with environmental concern, she said. "It's ridiculous to buy organic food that is flown out here in planes using massive amounts of fossil fuels," Ms Stanton said. Mara Bunn, of the Australian Consumers Association, said organic foods were still an item for the rich or people prepared to sacrifice other things.

What you pay for organic and non-organic products:

• Organic products
  Fresh chicken size 16 $11.60
  Oat bran flakes 340g $10.10
  Milk 1 litre $2.25
  Loose leaf tea 125g $4.60
  Chocolate syrup 440g $12.40
  Stoneground spaghetti 250g $4.35
  Peanut butter 375g 8.60
  Multigrain bread 620g $3.75
  Mixed fruit juice 946ml $8.60
  Romano pasta sauce 737g $8.75
  Total: $75

• Non-organic products
  Fresh chicken size 13 $7.07
  Bran flakes 375g $2.62
  Milk 1 litre $1.21
  Loose leaf tea 125g $2.14
  Chocolate syrup 440g $2.98
  Wholemeal spaghetti 500g $1.69
  Peanut butter 375g $2.62
  Wholemeal bread 450g $1.79
  Mixed fruit juice 1 litre $1.49
  Romano pasta sauce 737g $3.89
  Total: $27.90