Organic food in supermarkets

alfsmum

Expecting Riverford delivery today, including complimentary items after my complaint about a previous order. Strangely though the complimentary items showing online aren't the ones I requested from the list offered to me so I shall be a bit miffed if they don't send what I asked for.

When I started with organic veg boxes I thought I'd be more of a Riverford person than A&C, just seemed more ethical and not sold out to bigger companies. Have to say though that A&C produce has been that bit better to date, better quality, fresher, and the odd complaint has been dealt with in minutes rather than days. Also like that I get a refund to my card rather than a credit on my account.

alfsmum

Edwardia wrote: »

UNhomogenised
Abel & Cole, Calon Wen, Duchy Originals, Riverford

Homogenised
Yeo Valley, Country Life, Rachel's, Graham's (from Sainsbury's), ASDA, Waitrose, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's SO organic, Fresh Meadow (from Lidl), Moo (UHT), Acorn Dairy (from Riverford) and McDonald's.

???
Daylesford (from Ocado)

AFAIK, things like pasteurisation, filtration and ultra heat treatment prolong the life of milk, whereas homogenisation just breaks up the fat and distributes it evenly through the milk.

Having said that it is possible that skimmed milk, which is virtually fat free, might keep longer than whole or semi-skimmed milk.

I think it was Mojisola, who brought to my attention, the fact that homogenisation breaks milk up into such small globules, that they can get into the bloodstream.

We've tried Abel & Cole (favourite), Calon Wen, (second favourite), Duchy Originals, Fresh Meadows (worst), Graham's, Rachel's, McDonald's, Yeo Valley, Sainsbury's SO organic, Riverford and Moo so far.

Have to say that I find non homogenised milk too rich, even after a good shake the globules still sit on my cup of tea so tend to stick to homogenised. Our local dairy supplies a lovely organic milk and I also buy YValley to supplement this as the stuff from the dairy is over £2 delivered for 4 pints.

alfsmum

Also, I find the Moo milk quite acceptable and a useful store cupboard thing to have.

alfsmum

Edwardia wrote: »

Hisbe ethical supermarket to open in Brighton
http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/companies/supermarkets/hisbe-to-open-ethical-supermarket-in-brighton/238566.article

Sainsbury's opens greenest convenience store in UK in Solihull
http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/companies/supermarkets/sainsburys/sainsburys-opens-britains-greenest-c-store/238602.article

Ocado opens new customer fulfillment centre (warehouse)
http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/companies/david-cameron-opens-ocados-warwickshire-distribution-centre/238613.article

Fraudulent tuna
http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/fmcg/fresh/tuna-imports-held-following-warnings-of-illegal-fishing/238499.article

McDonald's switches to Freedom pork
http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/fmcg/fresh/mcdonalds-opts-for-freedom-food-pork/238539.article

Seed & Bean becomes Glastonbury supplier
http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/fmcg/seed-and-bean-becomes-chocolate-supplier-to-glastonbury-festival/238455.article

Mmm , Seed & Bean chocolate is lovely, lots of interesting flavours. Manged to sample most of them at a Wholefoods tasting a few weeks ago :rotfl:

Last weekend we came out of Wholefoods feeling stuffed after working our way round all the Queen's birthday tasters. Strawberries, relishes, breads, cacao bars, cupcakes....didn't need lunch after that.

Bought some lovely cranberry and pecan bread there and also olive bread. Not organic but made on site and no preservatives.

alfsmum

Hapshade wrote: »

Forgot to mention, if anyone's interested in the ethics of the companies behind the brands they're buying Ethical Consumer is a good place to check out.

They rate companies as best-buys and assign them an 'ethiscore' that's updated regularly, so as companies change policies on things like environmental reporting etc their ranking changes. They go into a huge amount of detail.

Hapshade , thanks for highlighting this website, looks really interesting.

Kirri

alfsmum wrote: »

Have to say that I find non homogenised milk too rich, even after a good shake the globules still sit on my cup of tea so tend to stick to homogenised. Our local dairy supplies a lovely organic milk and I also buy YValley to supplement this as the stuff from the dairy is over £2 delivered for 4 pints.

That sounds good value compared to Dairy Crest here at 85p a pint for organic (my mum gets it, prefers the taste from a glass bottle).

Not that I really drink milk but the freebie I had, I wasn't over keen on the look of the non homogenised, but presumably that was what we all had growing up? anyone know when they changed over to producing mostly homogenised?

alfsmum wrote: »

Expecting Riverford delivery today, including complimentary items after my complaint about a previous order. Strangely though the complimentary items showing online aren't the ones I requested from the list offered to me so I shall be a bit miffed if they don't send what I asked for.

When I started with organic veg boxes I thought I'd be more of a Riverford person than A&C, just seemed more ethical and not sold out to bigger companies. Have to say though that A&C produce has been that bit better to date, better quality, fresher, and the odd complaint has been dealt with in minutes rather than days. Also like that I get a refund to my card rather than a credit on my account.

I'm feeling exactly the same ^ and feeling quite guilty as I really wanted to stay with Riverford! I prefer their ethics and although the boxes have on the whole been great, as was anything from the Riverford kitchen, I had a few things that were not so good ie carrots not so fresh, tomatoes went from under ripe to mushy, PSB tough and bananas and pears that were tasteless and the A&C stuff just seems to be a bit better, presumably because they have more suppliers to choose from?? Also the random freebies plus credits from the odd complaint (rather than free item on next order) and the ice packs that come with the chilled food plus even the lidded, tied with string boxes that are handy if I'm not in and they just seem to have the edge. Not to mention the household stuff and wholefoods I can get delivered with my order, it's virtually a complete shop with A&C.

I do prefer Riverford eggs, the bread, their portobello mushrooms, the fact they sell small amounts of lemons and the that they make their own food rather than buying in from suppliers (fudge was amazing). Am having an inner torment on who to order from this week!!

Edwardia

Campaign for Real Milk
http://www.campaignforrealmilk.co.uk/index.html

It seems that homogenisation became widespread about ten years ago. Milk processors started heat treating milk for longer evidently so it kept for a longer period of time. Seems this made the cream clot and homogenisation broke it up.

Hapshade

Waitrose order arrived on time Sadly no Yeo Valley Ice Cream or Organic Apples, but no charge for the two Romaine lettuces either so I guess it balances out.

I'll have to check out A&C as well. Shopping for one that £10 minimum order looks very enticing.

sophlowe45

"25% of vitamin C is lost through pasteurisation, and the more the milk is heat treated the more vitamins are lost."

Edwardia

Abel & Cole is a sister company of Aunt Bessie's. Riverford is a franchise operation delivering produce from Riverford and other farms. I don't think it's absolutely fair therefore to compare them like for like. Really, the only similarity between them is that the deliver organic food.

Abel & Cole is effectively my milkman, bringing me milk, eggs, yogurt and cheese. I buy unusual vegetables from A&C which I can't readily buy in supermarkets eg organic globe artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes.

Riverford provides OH with a fruit bag most weeks, he also gets their Homity pies and ham and leek tarts for lunches (spoiled huh?). Because they deliver on a Friday I sometimes get milk for the weekend but I think A&C's Guernsey milk is better. I have odd veg from Riverford too, things like wild garlic recently for example.

I've had a few probs with A&C but they've been sorted. Not had any with Riverford so far.