Even If It’s Organic, Check The Label

There’s little doubt that when you can, buying something “organic” means you’re getting something that is going to be better for you. There won’t be funky additives, colors, and there’s the fact that things organically grown don’t use pesticides and such. But just because something is certified organic doesn’t mean you should take the label at face value…

Garden Salad

On a recent trip to a local co-op I wanted to get some salad dressing. With the summer like weather we’ve been having I’ve been incorporating a salad in to my daily lunch, the greens, carrots, radishes, and other stuff just makes for a great way to get a good dose of veggies.

Anyways, I needed some dressing… and they have a few different brands in “natural” and “organic”, and the brand by Organicville was on sale so I figured I would give it a try. The “Olive Oil & Balsamic Organic Vinaigrette” caught my eye, but can you imagine my surprise when I checked out the ingredients and found this on the back label (emphasis mine):

VinaigretteINGREDIENTS: FILTERED WATER, ORGANIC EXPELLER PRESSED SOYBEAN OIL, ORGANIC BALSAMIC VINEGAR, ORGANIC RED WINE VINEGAR, ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, ORGANIC AGAVE NECTAR, SALT, ORGANIC MINCED GARLIC, ORGANIC BLACK PEPPER, ORGANIC OREGANO, ORGANIC BASIL, ORGANIC MARJORAM, ORGANIC ROSEMARY EXTRACT AND XANTHAN GUM (A NATURAL THICKENER).

Yea, olive oil is number seven on the list. I ended up buying it anyways, and it’s pretty good… if a bit on the mild side overall. Here’s how the website describes it…

The classic flavor you crave enhanced by the highest quality ingredients; flavorful expelled pressed extra virgin olive oil and the finest aged balsamic vinegar come together to compliment a fresh salad with a taste that is undeniably homemade. As always, our all organic dressing will satisfy your taste buds as well as your lifestyle. All flavors are USDA certified organic, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and contain no added sugar.

I’m not here to rip on the product, like I said, overall it’s good. I’ll probably even buy it again… or at least try other flavors… because while I do enjoy making my own dressings I like to have bottled ones on hand for the convenience of them, and since I don’t use them all the time I can justify the extra cost of the organics. BUT, this does show you that no matter what, you should always check the label to double check just what it is you’re getting.

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