| There is a lot of debate about the issue of buying | | | | ethylene gas to force ripen the fruit. |
| organic products from the local organic store or | | | | - Supermarkets and smaller shops use a considerable |
| supermarket compared to buying them online or | | | | amount of power to operate. Lights are often kept |
| through local delivery systems and networks. We all | | | | on in large stores at night to assist with security by |
| want to reduce our carbon footprint but what is the | | | | deterring would be intruders. That's a lot of power |
| most environmentally sustainable method of delivery? | | | | being used. |
| When buying fresh organic products the debate goes | | | | So what are the best options? |
| a little deeper because the further fresh produce has | | | | Fresh food should be ideally bought from local organic |
| to travel, the more likely it can become contaminated | | | | growers and suppliers. Less transport is always |
| and its freshness slowly declines. Processed organic | | | | better for fresh food products. Local Farmers |
| products are also a subject of concern. Organic | | | | Markets are a good option as you can often speak |
| products are often manufactured to order or supplies | | | | directly with the grower about the organic methods |
| are made based on predetermined order schedules. | | | | they used to grow the products. I wouldn't |
| Organic products often have a lower shelf life due to | | | | recommend buying fresh food from a Supermarket |
| reduced or no preservatives. This also depends on | | | | unless there is no alternative option. |
| there manufacturing process. | | | | Manufactured organic products such as dried fruit and |
| What's wrong with organic products bought in | | | | nuts, olive oil, soymilk, oat milk, cereals, health bars |
| Supermarkets? | | | | etc, would be ideally purchased from the |
| Well, there is nothing specifically wrong with them. | | | | manufacturer and delivered to your home. However, |
| Organic is Organic whichever way you look at it but | | | | there would be no reason not to purchase these |
| there are some challenges with its supply and the | | | | products from the local supermarket. |
| carbon footprint larger stores can cause. | | | | Organic skin care and cosmetic products are ideally |
| - Manu factured organic products are ideally made no | | | | bought directly from the manufacturer or supply |
| more than a month in advance to retain freshness | | | | channel and delivered to your home. These products |
| and increase shelf life. Organic products bought in | | | | are usually made fresh sometimes to order and |
| Supermarkets are likely to have some form of shelf | | | | delivered direct to the store OR consumer. There is a |
| life extender (preservative) added. | | | | shelf life date on many of these products that gives |
| - Supermarkets hold fresh food products in | | | | them up to a couple of years but buying from the |
| warehouses for considerably long periods of time. | | | | supermarket they could already be 6 months into the |
| Fresh food we find in the supermarket could have | | | | Use-by date. Most organic products have a "Use |
| been there for months or more. Fruit is often picked | | | | within "x" months of opening" label, the x usually |
| immature or green and stored until needed, when it | | | | represents 6 months. |
| needs to be ripened the storage bay is filled with | | | | |