| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Doug Crabtree |
| June 6, 2004 | (406) 444-3730
TTY (406) 444-4687 |
Helena Market First Retailer in Montana to Meet Organic Standard
HELENA, Mont. -- Real Food Market & Deli has become the first Montana food retailer to be certified under national organic standards, the Montana Department of Agriculture has announced. The department has certified about 80 organic producers and handlers under the national standards, which were adopted in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Montana is one of 14 states authorized to certify organic producers and handlers that have proven that they meet the new standards.
The Real Food certification, issued May 25, 2004, includes all of the market's departments: grocery, meats, deli, produce, health & beauty and cosmetics. "Achieving certification shows the Real Food Market and Deli's commitment to supporting organic agriculture in Montana, and protecting the integrity of the organic products in their retail establishment," says Ralph Peck, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture. Montana ranks first nationally in the production of organic wheat and second in total certified organic acres, Peck notes. Organic production is one of the methods the state's farmers and ranchers have chosen to receive more value from the commodities they produce.
Although certification is not legally required of retailers, the department offers organic certification to retail operations that choose to apply. Certification involves verification of the store's procedures to avoid commingling organic products with non-organic, to label products according to organic regulations, to preserve an audit trail to trace all organic products back to their origins, and to train employees in handling procedures. Real Foods President and General Manager Laughing Water credited the store's produce manager, John Hoffland, with taking the initiative and spearheading the effort to achieve certification.
For more information about organic certification in Montana, contact Doug Crabtree, organic certification specialist at the department at 406-444-3730 or by e-mail at agr@mt.gov
