"All of the meat. None of the mystery." That's how organic and natural foods processor Applegate Farms, Bridgewater, N.J., talks about its offerings, including a new line of gluten-free chicken nuggets.

Facing recessionary pressure and prospects of more frugal consumer spending, Whole Foods Market Inc. has decided to reemphasize the healthy eating element of its proposition.

Smoked salmon and frozen yogurt were two of the four new products honored at the first All Things Organic New Product Competition, held during the recent All Things Organic Conference & Trade Show.

Although they're tightening their spending due to economic concerns, nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of U.S. families are purchasing organic products -- at least occasionally -- for health reasons.

The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), Harleyville, Pa., said U.S. health and wellness retail product sales reached more than $112 billion in 2008, a 9 percent increase compared to 2007.

Organic food sales now account for approximately 3.5 percent of all U.S. food product sales and annual category sales.

Organic and natural deli meat processor Applegate Farms, Bridgewater, N.J., said it hired 25-year-plus industry veteran Eric Miller as vice president of sales.

By now you've probably heard about Michael Pollan's book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, published this January. In it, Pollan addresses a question that any American consumer might ask when faced with so much variety on supermarket shelves, "What should I eat?"

What does healthy mean anymore? In researching this month’s product development feature on organic food formulation, I came across an article that stated “better for you” doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy” - rather it could mean that a food product is made from higher-quality or organic ingredients.