(NAPSA)—Here’s food for thought: two recent national polls confirm that more and more American shoppers are choosing organic foods. Food industry groups report that in the U.S., the organic seg- ment is the fastest-growing con- sumer group. In a recent national survey by the Food Marketing Industry, 41 percent of Americans self-identified as organic consumers. Those numbers were confirmed in a national survey recently conducted by Newton Research. In that survey, 42 percent of consumers purchased organic foods last year. Overall in the U.S., the organics market is expected to top $42 billion in annualsales by 2009. The Newton Research poll revealed that demand for organic and natural foods goes beyond the food products themselves to include a preference for natural packaging that will not interfere with the product taste. An overwhelming majority of organic consumers said they want their foods as healthful as possible and prefer their organic foods be packaged in glass containers over other packaging, such asplastic or tin. “Glass is a natural complement to the organic market,” said Glass Packaging Institute President Joseph Cattaneo. “Glass is the only packaging material catego- The typical organic consumeris a woman between 25 and 54 years old with a household annual income over $50,000. rized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as ‘gener- ally recognized as safe.” According to Newton Research, 82 percent of consumers agree, ranking glass as the “healthiest” form of packaging. “That’s because glass is the only packaging material for foods and beverages that is essentially chemically inert, allowing it to protect a product’s taste by providing a barrier to oxygen and moisture,” said Cattaneo. The survey reports that the “typical” organic consumer is a female shopper between 25 and 54 years of age, with a household annual income over $50,000. For more information on this study, go to www.KeepitOrganic. org.
