An East Lansing store offering a variety of organic produce has expanded its products to include more than just pesticide-free vegetables.
The East Lansing Food Co-Operative, 4960 Northwind Drive, will now carry bread, cheese, pastries, cookies and black magic brownies, which all come from an Ann Arbor deli. The new products compliment the produce, vitamins, supplements and clothing the store has carried, said Ally Hurst, a buyer for the co-op.
Anyone can shop at the co-op, but getting a membership does have benefits, said Mark Troisi, general manager. Membership for students costs $12 per year and is nonrefundable. A lifetime membership is $60, Troisi said.
Benefits of being a member include receiving a 10 percent discount on customer appreciation days and receiving discounts on bulk food purchases, Hurst said.
Hurst said the benefits of going to a co-op instead of a chain grocery store include a local atmosphere where everyone knows each other.
"It's just nice being part of a place like the food co-op," Hurst said. "It's kind of a social plus - you aren't shopping at a big chain here."
Most of the food at the co-op is organic, Hurst said, but when they cannot get organic foods for reasonable prices they mostly look for foods that are locally grown and have less preservatives.
A government-approved inspector must check the food before it can be considered organic, which makes it more expensive, Hurst said. She also said this inspection along with more work needed to preserve organic foods makes the process costly.
"There's a lot that goes into it," Hurst said. "They pay more in labor because obviously you aren't using pesticides so you have to have people go through and hand pick bugs."
Hurst said that although she prefers organic foods and feels better about eating them, it doesn't necessarily mean it is healthier or can help in weight loss.
"I'd like to say yes, but obviously you still have to make good choices," Hurst said. "You can't say 'I'm going to eat organic chocolate, followed by organic cookies,' you will still gain weight."
Ronda Bokram, a nutritionist at Olin Health Center said that organic foods are not healthier than regular foods. She said the choice of whether or not to eat organic is up to the individual and it is important to think about having fruits and vegetables in a well-balanced diet - whether they are organic or not.
"It's about lifestyle," Bokram said. "You have to think about it in a much broader picture."
Some people eat organic foods because of fear of pesticides and unnatural processes that might be used to produce foods that are in commercial supermarkets, Bokram said. She added that buying commercially shouldn't be a concern because these foods are also monitored and tested.
But whether or not organic foods are a healthier alternative, Hurst and Troisi both believe that students should check out the co-op for something new.
"Some misconceptions people have is that organic food is not as good or not as pretty," Hurst said. "That's not true, when you look at them here, it is big, pretty and beautiful."
