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New Survey Reveals NEED for Organic Meat OPTIONS TO ADDRESS GROWING CONSUMER DEMAND
Sommers Organic ™ Product Line Featured at All Things Organic ™ Show
WHEELING , Ill. (May 9) – In recent years, Americans, more conscious of their health and the impurities and additives in the foods they eat, have increasingly turned to organic food choices for a tastier, healthier alternative. A recent survey found that 75 percent of consumers have purchased organic foods at least once in the past month. But that same survey also found one area where demand for product outpaces the supply: organic meats.
Sommers Organic ™ has unveiled the results of the “Sommers Organic Outlook ,” a survey that explored consumer viewpoints on organic foods and organic meats. The results were announced in conjunction with the All Things Organic ™ trade show in Chicago , May 6-9, the only exclusively organic event of its kind in the United States . Sommers Organic will be presenting their line of retail organic meats at the show.
Organics is the fastest growing segment of food sales in North America . America 's organic consumer market surpassed the $10 billion mark in retail sales in 2003, was projected to surpass the $15 billion mark in 2005, and is expected to reach $20 billion by 2007. Organic meats and poultry are taking the lead in this growth, with an expected category growth of over 33 per cent through 2008 .
Despite the growth in the category, the Sommers Organic Outlook found that demand for organic meats is largely unfulfilled. According to the survey, over 60 percent of consumers polled said that organic meats are not easily available – but three quarters of those people would buy organic meats if they were accessible. Sommers Organic, a line of organic meat products that includes fully-cooked, fresh and frozen beef, chicken, pork and turkey products helps fulfill those needs.
New Survey Reveals Consumer Demand for Organic Meats
“We realize there's a tremendous growth opportunity with respect to consumer interest in organic meats,” said Walter Sommers, CEO of Sommers Organic. “People are becoming more concerned about the health and environmental impacts of the foods they eat. Our mission at Sommers Organic is to provide consumers with pure, healthy, great tasting products that are affordable and convenient.”
A New Line to Meet a Growing Demand
Motivations for purchasing organic foods include concerns about health, a fear of growth hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals, and the desire to purchase the highest quality foods. Sommers Organic is addressing those concerns by providing a range of products ranging from fresh cuts of beef and chicken to pre-cooked, pre-seasoned pot roast, half chicken, and prime rib. The full product line includes:
Fresh and Frozen Beef: including ground beef, beef patties, ground sirloin, and New York strip, ribeye, tenderloin and flank steaks
Fresh and Frozen Chicken and Turkey : including 3-4 lb. whole chickens, ground chicken and chicken patties and turkey burgers
Fresh and Frozen Pork : including boneless pork chops, boneless pork roasts, ground pork and baby back ribs
Fully-Cooked Beef and Chicken: including pot roast, herb-seasoned top sirloin roast, Latin seasoned tri-tip roast, prime rib roast and a seasoned half chicken
Sommers Organic meat is carefully selected by the Sommers Family from USDA Certified Organic farms and produced according to the stringent guidelines of both the USDA standards and Sommers Organic. Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a government approved certifier must inspect the farm and facility where the food is produced and processed to make sure that all necessary regulations are followed to meet the USDA organic standards. That means that all Sommers Organic products are free of antibiotics, growth hormones and other additives.
New Survey Reveals Consumer Demand for Organic Meats
Sommers Organic is currently available at select retailers including Kroger, Lowes Foods, Trader Joe's, Costco, Wild Oats, Cub Foods, as well as many other fine retailers, and online at Peapod.com. For more information on Sommers Organic, visit www.sommersorganic.com.
ABOUT SOMMERS ORGANIC: Sommers Organic is a division of the Ruprecht Company and the producers of a full line of pure, healthy and great tasting USDA certified organic meats. Sommers Organic is a family-owned company based in Wheeling , Illinois .
The “Sommers Organic Outlook” was conducted by BSM Media Research on behalf of Sommers Organic and includes results from 458 survey respondents.
Statistics taken from Organic Trade Association, more information can be found at www.ota.com