Enjoying Wonderful World: Organic

Showing posts with label Organic. Show all posts

August 14, 2024

Filipinos invited to experience the natural goodness of European organic dairy

There's something remarkable about European organic dairy that sets it apart. With a strong commitment to adhere to the high production standards mandated by the European Union (EU), European organic dairies produce food with deep respect for animals, the environment, and consumers. These products are crafted through natural and sustainable farming practices, ensuring they are free from artificial additives, hormones, GMOs, pesticides, and other artificial agents. Rich in essential nutrients like protein, calcium, and vitamins B2 and B12, European organic dairy products offer a wholesome and nutritious choice for families across the globe.

(Left to Right): Panelists Dr. Noel Lumbo, Rae Cay, Dr. Joey Cuayo-Estanislao, Jo Sebastian, Kelly Misa, and Tom Alonzo shared their insights on the benefits of organic European Dairy

Europe, especially Denmark, stands out as a leader in the organic dairy industry, not only pioneering the adoption of organic production regulations but also striving to share the natural goodness of European organic dairy products worldwide. Last year, the Danish Dairy Board (DDB), an inter-brand organization representing dairies in Denmark, launched a three-year educational campaign supported by the EU called EU Organic Dairy PH in the Philippines. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the benefits of European organic dairy and inspire informed consumer choices. Now in its second year, the campaign is set to host various activities in the coming months, including product sampling and VIP Consumer Classes.

From pasture to plate

To kick off the second year of the campaign, DDB hosted the From Pasture to Plate: Choose Organic European Dairy launch event on August 13, 2024 at the Grand Hyatt Garden Pavilion. The event featured tastings, engaging discussions, and educational sessions that explored the production process of organic dairy in Europe, the role dairy plays in sustainable nutrition, and the positive impacts of organic dairy production.

Jo Sebastian, a registered nutritionist-dietician, said, “In the journey toward better health and sustainability, it's crucial to make mindful and nutritious choices about what we eat. Organic dairy, with its numerous nutritional benefits, isn’t merely a trend—it's a powerful step toward a healthier and more sustainable future for us and our planet.”

During the event, attendees enjoyed a selection of delectable bites made with European organic dairy products. They also gained valuable insights on food, health, and wellness from Dr. Noel Lumbo of the National Organic Agriculture Board and pediatrician Dr. Joanna Cuayo-Estanislao. Additionally, mom influencer Kelly Misa shared her personal journey of integrating organic choices into her family’s lifestyle, providing both inspiration and practical advice.

Creating more goodness

In the upcoming months, consumers across Metro Manila and nearby provinces can indulge in product sampling activities featuring European organic dairy products. These will take place from August 16, 2024 to January 2025 at leading supermarkets and grocery stores, offering everyone the opportunity to experience the quality and flavor of European organic dairy from Denmark firsthand. Meanwhile, the VIP Consumer Classes, slated for September 2024, will offer a series of fun and educational sessions where participants, including kids and families, can learn more about organic dairy from Europe while enjoying interactive workshops, games, tasting sessions, and more.

Mr. Lars Witt Jensen, Senior Marketing Manager at the Danish Dairy Board, said, “We are thrilled to bring the message of organic European dairy to the Philippines, especially as more Filipinos seek the best options for their health and the planet. Through our campaign, we hope to empower Filipino consumers with the knowledge and benefits of choosing organic dairy. Our goal is to highlight not only the nutritional value of these products but also their role in promoting sustainable practices and animal welfare. By choosing organic dairy, consumers are making a positive impact on their health, the environment, and the future of food."

The event showcased the delicious organic European Dairy products available in the Philippines.

Stay tuned for updates on the EU Organic Dairy PH’s upcoming events by following EU Organic Dairy PH on Facebook and Instagram or visiting eu-organicdairy.ph.

August 15, 2020

The Organic Child: Health or Hype?

PROMIL Organic recently held an interactive session with medical expert Celeste Gomez, M.D.. The live zoom session last Thursday, August 13, was fun, exciting and informative, with the theme "The Organic Child: Health or Hype?"

Let"s see why and how to do #SmartWayToGoOrganic with #PromilOrganic.

Food is indeed a powerful influence on one’s health and well-being. An adage even says, “every time you are eating a meal, you are either feeding disease or fighting it.” In this era when staying healthy has, more than ever, become our top priority, how do we keep our overall health in tip-top shape? And for parents, how do we ensure that our children live better lives?

Today, many parents are now embracing the concept of switching to healthier options and advocating organic nutrition for their children’s growth and development, medical expert and a mom to a toddler Dr. Celeste Gomez, from The Medical City Pediatrics and the Institute of Functional Medicine, shares the benefits of organic nutrition and guides fellow moms in their shift to organic to help strengthen their family’s immunity.

Shifting to an organic lifestyle may sound intimidating for others. But essentially, vegetables or grains are organic if they have no GMO, synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, chemical additives, or sewage sludge. For meat, dairy, poultry, and fish to be labelled as organic, there should be no hormones and antibiotics, fed with organic grains or vegetables, no animal by-products, no GMO corn or soil, poultry must have access to outdoors, livestock must have access to pasture, and fish are wild caught and not farmed.

The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM International), a Germany-based organization of organic certifying bodies, regulates the standards of Organic Agriculture which should be maintained for a certain product to be accredited as organic. In the country, the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP), accredited by IFOAM International, gives the Certified Organic seal to products grown using agricultural standards.

Compared to conventional food, there are a few differences between organic and all-natural. In some instances, “all-natural” products may also use artificial fertilizers or pesticides, irradiation, and GMO ingredients. On the other hand, conventional food products may use artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, fertilizer, pesticides, irradiation, and GMO ingredients.

In addition, some food products and their packaging may also contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which can decrease or increase normal hormone levels, mimic the body’s natural hormones, or alter the natural production of hormones when absorbed in the body. Some examples of EDCs in food are pesticides (found in vegetables, grains, and fruits), bisphenol A or BPA (food storage containers), and phthalates (food packaging).

While Dr. Gomez clarifies that conventional food is still nutritious and isn’t entirely that bad, its way of processing as well as presence of pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria growth add stress on our body systems. Hence, we just need to detox more. How? By choosing whole and organic food in every chance we could.

In relation to organic food, whole foods are natural products that are not processed or refined in any way. Or if they are processed, they need to be able to retain 95% of the natural nutrients. They do not need to be bought in organic options as they are already rich in vitamins and minerals as they are. According to EWG’s 2020 Clean 15, among the examples of whole foods are avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, papaya, cauliflower, and broccoli. On the other hand, some examples of plant produce that should be bought in organic are strawberries, spinach, kale nectarines, apples, tomatoes, and potatoes.

Gomez, who is a member of the Institute for Functional Medicine, further explains that Functional Nutrition is an emerging field which studies about finding the right way for each of us as individuals to use food to maximize the potential for health and wellness, specifically, by focusing on whole foods and organic choices.

“There is no single “right diet” that applies to all of us. We have different genetic backgrounds, different preferences, and different lives. We all want to be healthy, but most of us haven’t figured out just how to make food and dietary patterns serve that goal,” she added.

The world has indeed evolved now, more than ever, and we have seen so many changes in everyone’s lifestyle. Along with that change should also be the way we take care of our family’s health, particularly our little ones, through proper nutrition. A smart way to go organic is choosing an organic milk for our children. Luckily, Wyeth Nutrition’s PROMIL® Organic knows exactly what parents need.

PROMIL® Organic is made with 100% organic milk sourced from certified organic dairy farms, following all the strict standards in manufacturing an Organic formula milk, with higher levels of DHA and AA versus previous formulation to help support the development of children over 3 years old.

Organic Certified: free from antibiotics and chemical pesticides! Only the good is in PROMIL® Organic.

“PROMIL® Organic follows strict compliance of the 95% processing level and international standards from the IFOAM Organics International. It is also certified organic by the OCCP,” says Associate Marketing Director Maria Carmela Gabunada of Wyeth Nutrition.

It is the only organic formula milk expertly designed with key nutrients DHA, AA, iron, iodine and vitamin B12 to help the child with mental and visual development; boosts immunity with Vitamin A and C; Calcium, Vitamin D, K, and zinc to promote proper growth; and dietary fiber (oligofructose) to improve digestive health.