Sound Consumer

Alcoholic beverages are not required by the government to be labeled. They can contain a range of ingredients including high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, preservatives, thickeners and emulsifiers.

We hope your mornings are starting with the new PCC-brand organic, fairly traded coffee — whether you brew it at home or pick up a cup to go at one of our stores. We spent a year working with local roaster Tony’s, tasting and tweaking along the way, to develop three blends we think you’ll love.

Recently PCC updated our quality standards for several controversial ingredients — caramel color, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide and carrageenan. We also asked FDA to define “grass-fed” for dairy.

The Florida citrus industry is under serious attack, being devastated by a disease known as Citrus Greening.

Wheat farmers across the inland Pacific Northwest say their soil is acidic. The culprit appears to be the abundant use of synthetic nitrogen to increase crop yields. Now farmers and researchers are looking for innovative solutions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking your input as a consumer on how it should define “natural” for food labels. Please participate by February 10.

This month our staff love Jacobs Creamery Bloomy Cheese, PCC Deli’s Smoked Mozzarella Pasta, Umcka Cold Care, and more! Plus, look for organic blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, Murcott tangerines, Seville oranges and Autumn Glory apples in our produce aisles.

Britt’s makes pickles and other fermented vegetables the old-fashioned way: in oak barrels. They’re available in bulk now at some PCC stores!

Missing PCC from the Midwest · Natural, effective deodorant · Kids eat what they need · Protein powder · Grapefruit safety · Humanely raised foods · Corn in supplements

Farmers used bees 9,000 years ago · Roundup and organ damage · EPA revokes herbicide approval · Canada sued over GE salmon · Beverly Hills organic farm? · Organic fast food · FDA’s new GE labeling guidelines · Home cooking for disease prevention · Supplement fraud indictments · Cheerios lawsuit

Learn why beekeepers and cod fisherman are worried, why cows are flying on aircraft to China, the future of faux “shrimp” and more!

Board meeting report · Bylaws update · 2016 board slate · Get to know your trustees