Beverages & Liquor

The New York Times reports today that despite the relatively relaxed pace at which the price of organic food has risen in comparison to other produce and processed food in the past few months, organics are about to see dramatic price increases across the board. With the cost of organic feeds for meat and dairy, and the decreased incentive for farmers to go organic due to higher prices for non-organic foods, there's a good chance that the cost of many of your favorite organics will go up by as much as 20 percent in the very near future.

The latest issue of GOOD Magazine features a diagram of a few dozen top American natural foods brands and the corporations that own them. Many of the names on the list will probably surprise you.

Monsanto is in the process of introducing legislation in states throughout the country that would bar dairies from advertising their products as "rBST-free" or "rBGH-free." The "r" stands for "recombined," meaning that levels BGH and BST— two naturally occurring bovine growth hormones — have been unnaturally elevated to increase the amount of milk that the cows produce.

When Coca-Cola commissioned the Energy and Resources Institute to test its water supply at a Rajasthan plant for pesticide residues in 2006, it probably wasn't expecting the organization to suggest that it shut down operations in the state over an unrelated issue. The water was found to meet government standards for purity — which doesn't explain why soda the plant produced in 2006 was found to have pesticide levels at 24 times the recommended limit — but a local water shortage means Coke's operations there pose a greater threat than just contaminated soda.

In a dubious effort to curb skyrocketing childhood obesity rates in Mexico, Pepsico has released a video game aimed at educating children about healthy choices. The game compels kids to monitor a Tamagotchi-like character called "Nutrin," ensuring that he balances his caloric intake with exercise — presumably sending the message that Pepsico products can be a part of a healthy lifestyle so long as one plays enough soccer.