Is organic certification necessary?

Organic certification of products came into place to give the consumer some measure of comfort that the product complies with organic farming practises. But is it necessary and does certification guarantee that product is healthy? Here's my view:

I look beyond the existence or non-existence of a certification stamp and ask whether the product is IN SUBSTANCE organic, meaning is it grown or reared in accordance with the laws of nature?

• In the case of fresh produce this means asking if the produce is grown locally, seasonally, is unsprayed and grown without petrochemical fertilisers.
• In the case of ruminant animals (beef, sheep, goat) and the milk that comes from such animals, this means asking if the animals are fed grass and grass only (as opposed to grains) and not given hormones or antibiotics.
• In the case of chickens and their eggs, this means asking if the chickens are roaming free on pasture in sunshine eating what they are biologically designed to eat.

There are many reasons why a farmer or producer of food might not want to go to the trouble or expense of getting their products certified. The only way to therefore get assurance as to the quality of what you are eating is to forge relationships with your farmer or supplier (eg butcher, fishmonger, fruit and veg supplier etc) and ask them lots of questions as to the source and processing of their products!! Most farmers, producers and vendors of quality, sustainable and ethical food are delighted to spend the time chatting to you about the source and processing of what they sell. And if they are not willing to talk or don't know the answers then that of itself is very telling! In this way you will feel more connected to the food you are eating and your local community.

Conversely, simply because something is certified organic does NOT mean that it is healthy. I wouldn't touch 90% of things sold in trendy organic stores even if they are certified organic. You can now buy certified organic canola oil, castor sugar, gummy bears and breakfast cereals but the certification itself doesn't miraculously convert them into a product that I would consume or recommend. Big businesses have latched onto the organic market with a vengeance (as they perceive lots of money to be made from that sector) but a certification does not absolve the consumer from an obligation to bybass the marketing fluff on the package and scrutinize the ingredients. I have a little motto: if something needs to be advertised it's probably not real food. The food that I buy and consume for myself and my family is not advertised. It's largely single ingredient food that doesn't come in a box, container or package. For this reason I tend not to use the word "organic" in my consultations, conversations or cooking classes.

Some of my favourite nutrient-dense products that I and my family regularly consume that are NOT certified organic (but are in substance organic) include:

• raw milk cheeses (eg gryuere, reggio). I have blogged about raw milk cheeses here and here.
• Westgold butter from Woolworths. This is not certified but I have spoken to the farmer in NZ about his farming practices and he has assured me that his cows are ONLY fed grass, no antibiotics or hormones and the salt he uses in his butter is unrefined. Westgold butter is much much cheaper than the certified organic brands with no difference in quality. $1.98/250g. Bargain. I appreciate and respect the fact that some people will not, for ethical reasons, buy products from a multinational like Woollies not matter how cheap or how good a quality they are.
• Gympie farm butter and cream made from cultured unprocessed milk. Undoubtedly the best quality butter and cream in Australia but it's quite expensive ($30-35/kg) so not a daily staple for us.
• pastured meats and bones: the meat and bones I often buy are not certified organic but I have over the years forged great relationships with butchers and farmers who I either now know personally, or have visited their farms or who have given me assurances of the feeding and grazing practises. ie all pasture fed and finished beef and lamb (because we don't want farmers fattening up their grass-fed cows on grains before going to the abattoir). Some favourite farms include Burrawong chickens and Taralga Springs beef. These are not certified but they are as ethical, sustainable and organic (in substance) as you could get.
• wild fish: a wild fish from clean oceans doesn't need certification!
• full fat yogurt containing no sugar, additives or preservatives. A brand I love is Meredith sheeps or goats milk yogurt. All Meredith products are handmade using French farmhouse methods but not certified organic. (Note GREEN LABEL & LID yogurt – is made using Lacto Bacillus Acidophilus & Bifidus (Probiotic). BLUE LABEL & LID yogurt – is made using Greek Lacto Bacillus Thermopilus & Bulgaris. I buy both).
• sea salt: should contain only ONE ingredient- sea salt! Unbleached, unrefined with nothing added in or taken out. Naturally rich in minerals. eg Celtic, Maldon, Sicilian. Himalayan crystal salt is unrefined too.
• produce sold at farmers markets that are unsprayed etc.
• Ayam coconut oil: contains no nasties (eg guar gum and additives) that many of the certified organic brands contain.
• Egganic eggs:  The farmers explained to me that even though their farm is not certified organic their farming practices are actually stricter than the certified organic standards eg there are few chickens per square metre.  Chicken farmers will almost always feed their chickens grains (in addition to grass, worms, veggie scraps and all of the other things that chickens eat when scratching on pasture). Conventional grains fed to chicken (and livestock) will almost always contain soy and other grains which may be genetically modified if imported. Certified organic grains can NOT  by law contain genetically modified ingredients. For this reason the Egganic farmers feed their chickens grains that are certified organic.

Some products that I tend to buy certified organic would be:

• olive oil: practises in olive oil farming have come under scrutiny in recent years as many farmers were diluting their olive oils with industrialised seeds oils like canola oil. Certification provides a measure of comfort that the oil I and my family is consuming is not adulterated in any way.  The brand that I recommend and consume is Toscana which is a small family run business in Victoria and provides very reasonably priced cold pressed extra virgin certified organic olive oil. I retail this for $40/1.5 litres from my home.
• herbs, spices and teas: convention herbs are almost always irradiated so unless you know the farmer it is best to opt for certified organic. The highest quality herbs, teas and spices in Australia are available at OVViO- the Organic Lifestyle Store at Paddington 5-ways.
• nuts, seeds: like herbs and spices, nuts tend to be almost always sprayed so I always buy certified organic, organic in conversion or get assurances from the farmer that their farm is in substance organic even if it's not certified.

So the bottom line is look beyond the existence or non existence of certification and ask lots of questions about the provenance and processing of what you are putting into your and your family's mouth!

Lacto-fermentation workshop: Thurs 27th March 7:30pm

Due to my lacto-fermentation workshop on Thursday 20th March being fully booked, I will be running another identical workshop the following week  on Thursday 27th March 7:30pm. Other than the date, the details are exactly the same. For further information please click on my earlier blog post here and follow the steps stated there for securing a spot. There are a few spots left for that second workshop.

Henley's Wholefoods - a new cafe in Bondi Junction

I am often asked  for recommendations on where to eat lunch in the Eastern suburbs. Surprisingly, eateries that offer 'clean' food are few and far between in this neck of the woods and I have until now struggled to provide a recommendation for a place that I would be eager to dine at without having to perform what I call 'menu gymnastics' (when eyes rolls when I begin to alter the ingredients of a meal on a menu). Enter Henley's Wholefoods. This cafe sneaked into the Eastern suburbs wholefoods scene with little fanfare and publicity in November 2013 but the feedback I had received from clients and friends has all been overwhelming positive. A couple of weeks ago I finally managed to get there and had the pleasure of interviewing co-owner Sophie Henley over a slow cooked lamb lunch.

Soulla: What was the catalyst for opening Henley's? Sophie: I saw a need in the market for something truly wholesome with a cafe feel. In particular I wanted to cater to people who had food intolerances. I grew up on a farm in Northern NSW where home-cooked nourishing meals made from scratch were a daily staple and this is what I wanted to provide in my cafe.

Soulla: What is your food ethos/philosophy? Sophie: in a word "Wholefoods!" We specifically didn't want to use a label such as 'Paleo'. 

Soulla: Tell me about the provenance of your food (the meat, eggs, dairy and produce etc)? Sophie: We like to support local and small businesses as much as possible:

• The meat is all grass fed and finished from "The Meat Store" a few doors down on Oxford Street.
• The eggs are from Egganic [Soulla: this is where I get my eggs from too!]
• The milk is from Riverina Fresh. We use a lot of coconut cream and coconut yogurt too.
• The produce is all fresh from local farmers and almost all is certified organic.
• The salmon is farmed. [Soulla: I have put Sophie in contact with David from Canadian Way with a view to Henley's offering wild salmon in the future].
• We do not offer pork or bacon on the menu. I don't eat pork so it's not something that I have incorporated into the menu.

Soulla: What oils/fats do you cook with and use? Sophie: We only use coconut oil and olive oil. We don't use any industrialised oils.

Soulla: what sweeteners do you use? Sophie: agave syrup and maple syrup.

Soulla: I noticed that you recently decided to introduce grains into your menu. Tell me about the reasons behind that. Sophie: I think certain grains are good for you. We were getting feedback from customers which indicated we needed to offer greater diversity and we want to cater for a more diverse range of people. The grains we offer are all properly prepared such as soaked quinoa and rye sourdough. We are currently trialling a sprouted bread too. Our pizza bases are actually grain-free and made from egg whites and coconut flour. 

Soulla: With Paleo cafe just upstairs how do you see 2 wholefoods cafes operating in such close proximity? Sophie: we are different to Paleo Cafe in that 1) we are organic; 2) we can be more creative and flexible with our menu because we are not a franchise; and 3) we have totally different feel.

Soulla: Is all of the food prepared onsite? Sophie: Yes everything is prepared here from scratch except the coconut yogurt. We have an open kitchen with provides transparency.

Soulla: What meals are offered? Sophie: we currently offer breaksfast, lunch and snacks. Dinner is something we are looking into. We are open Monday to Saturday 6am - 4pm. Sundays 7:30am-4pm. [see photos of menu at bottom of post]

Soulla: How often does the menu change? Sophie: lunch changes every Wednesday, breakfast is more stable and changes less frequently.

Soulla: Do you consider Henley's Wholefoods kid friendly? Sophie: Yes. Kids love the sweet potatoes with aeoli. There are no deep-fried foods. 

Soulla: Plan for further stores? Sophie: Yes we hope to open in Oxford Street, Paddington, mid year.... and possibly Newtown after that. We are also currently servicing the cafe part of a supplement store called Performer Nutrition.

Soulla: What response have you had from the market since you opened in November? Sophie: We have been delighted with our growth since we opened especially since we have only promoted ourselves through social media and word of mouth!

Talking aside, I  thoroughly enjoyed my slow cooked cumin rubbed lamb, with tzatziki and mint with a colourful 'Rainbow Action' salad and a latte. The meal was a really decent size, beautifully presented and delicious! And not dissimilar to what I would make at home. 

Henley's Wholefoods is tucked away down the stairs from Paleo Cafe on Oxford Street Bondi Junction next to Snap Fitness (with an entrance on Grafton Street too). It has an an impressive menu, a bunch of super friendly staff and a lovely cafe feel.

I think the incorporation of wild salmon and pastured pork / bacon products into the menu would be a welcome addition. I'm not a huge fan of agave syrup (too high in fructose) and prefer maple syrup or raw honey as my sweeteners of choice but I appreciate how much more expensive the latter are. These small issues aside, I would highly recommend Henley's as a place to enjoy a beautiful wholefoods meal reminiscent of home, or as a place to catch up with friends over a coffee and a treat.

Have you eaten at Henley's Wholefoods yet? If so, what did you think? I would love to hear your feedback.

You can Like Henley's Wholefoods on Facebook and/or follow on Instagram.