February 12, 2008

4 Min Read
Whole Foods Market Chandler, AZ, Store to Host Organic Food and Wine Pairing and Educational Program

Phoenix-area Whole Foods Market will feature on February 22 a gourmet organic food and wine pairing and presentation and Q&A to benefit The Organic Center, an organization dedicated to advancing scientific research behind the benefits of organic foods and farming.

Chandler, AZ – (February 13, 2008) – It’s a perfect combination – a pairing of the very best gourmet organic foods and wines – and an educational program presenting the latest findings and scientific research on the proven nutritional, health and environmental benefits of organic foods and farming.

The gourmet organic food and wine pairing will be held on Friday, Feb. 22, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, and is presented by Whole Foods Market’s Chandler store, 2955 West Rd. in Chandler, AZ. Proceeds from the event will be donated to The Organic Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing scientific research behind the health and environmental benefits of organic products.

The educational program will feature Steven Hoffman, Managing Director, and Seleyn DeYarus, Development Director of The Organic Center, and Melanie Albert, co-host of Discover Nutrition on KFNX 1100AM Radio in Phoenix, and will focus on the proven benefits of organic. Among the Center’s key findings, from studies published by The Organic Center and other reports from university researchers in the United States and Europe (see references, below):

• Organic fruits and vegetables are 30% higher in antioxidants than their conventionally grown counterparts.
• Organic produce is often judged tastier and more pleasing than conventional produce, and organic apples store better and are tastier than conventional apples, according to the results of studies carried out in several countries.
• Organic milk is higher in certain essential fatty acids and vitamins than conventional milk.
• Organic corn production uses 30% less energy per bushel harvested than conventional corn.
• Healthier soils in organic production tie up more carbon in the soil, helping to lessen the impact agriculture may have on global warming.

“The social, health and environmental benefits of organically produced foods and other products are enormous—and growing,” says Hoffman. “In a time when consumer concerns are mounting over the use of pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones in commercial food production—and now also about genetically modified foods and cloning in dairy and meat production—organic is a proven alternative to promote individual and environmental health and sustainability.”

Individual tickets for the Organic Food and Wine Pairing to benefit The Organic Center are $25 and can be purchased in advance or at the door. To purchase tickets in advance, please contact Sara Kittelson, Marketing Supervisor, Whole Foods Market Chandler, tel 480.821.9447.

About The Organic Center
The Organic Center, based in Boulder, CO, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 to generate and advance credible, peer-reviewed scientific research and information on the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming – and to communicate those benefits to the public through education, resources and information. By doing so, it helps promote the conversion of more farmland to organic methods, improve public health, and work to restore our natural world through more sustainable and ecological practices. All of The Organic Center’s research reports and publications are available free of charge on our website, www.organic-center.org <http://www.organic-center.org> . Individuals can also sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter, The Scoop. For information about The Organic Center, its current programs and scientific reports please visit www.organic-center.org <http://www.organic-center.org> or call 303.499.1840.

About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com <http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com> ) is the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and America’s first national certified organic grocer. In fiscal year 2007, the company had sales of $6.6 billion and currently has more than 270 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Whole Foods Market motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Whole Foods Market, Fresh & WildTM, and Harry’s Farmers Market® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Wild Oats® and Capers Community MarketTM are trademarks owned by Wild Marks, Inc. Whole Foods Market employs more than 53,000 Team Members and has been ranked for 11 consecutive years as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine.

References:

Evaluating Antioxidant Levels in Food Through Organic Farming and Food Processing, State of Science Review, The Organic Center, January 2005.
Do Organic Fruits and Vegetables Taste Better than Conventional Fruits and Vegetables?, Richard C. Theuer, State of Science Review, The Organic Center, December 2006.
Influence of organic diet on the amount of conjugated linoleic acids in breast milk of lactating women in the Netherlands, L. Rist, et. al., British Journal of Nutrition, April 2007.
Impacts of Organic Farming on the Efficiency of Energy Use in Agriculture, State of Science Review, The Organic Center, August 2006.
The Myth of Nitrogen Fertilization for Soil Carbon Sequestration, Journal of Environmental Quality, November-December, 2007.
Report of the International Conference on Organic Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization, September 2007.

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