Great piece in today’s NYT Business section on Walmart’s decision to sell  top of the line organic food products at prices discounted so that working and lower middle class families can enjoy the perceived health benefits.

So what’s worse?

A company with disreputable labor practices and highly aggressive standards of competition or not being able to afford organic food?

The thing is that in the U.K. the government stepped in to stop companies from advertising that their organic products have any health benefits.  Numerous academics have done research that shows, at best, inconclusive data.  Maybe organic food is healthier.  Maybe it’s not.

FYI: Have a look at any of the frozen or prepared organic food you buy at a supermarket.  Manufactured in China, right?  The quality control in China is so poor that, organic or not, you have no guarantee that what you’re buying to eat is OK.

In the same section of the NYT today: A report that the “healthy” brands of pet food– Iams and Eukanuba–are being sold, by order of Pershing Square Capital Management (which owns Proctor & Gamble) to the Mars candy company.  Fluffy may get Snickers along with liver “flavored” crushed cereal.