Discontinuing Applegate Products at the Co-op

We’ve had trouble getting Applegate products. We’ll be switching to other high-quality products to ensure our customers get the product availability they deserve.

The food industry is constantly in flux. When there is an industry shift, the Co-op closely monitors products for changes in quality, availability, or company values.

We’ve run into several issues with Applegate in the wake of the company’s recent sale to Hormel. Here’s what you need to know.

The Background

In the spring of 2015, it was announced that monolithic food giant Hormel would purchase Applegate Farms, a natural and organic meat producer, for $775 million—Hormel’s largest acquisition to date. This deal signals what food-industry insiders have long predicted: natural and organic products are big business, and no longer the exclusive territory of small family farms and independent food producers.

Does a big sale mean a big change in the product? Not necessarily. But in this case, we believe it has.

Why the Co-op is Discontinuing Applegate

• We’ve had trouble getting Applegate products. We’ll be switching to other high-quality products to ensure our customers get the product availability they deserve.

•  We’ve had questions about the quality. At the Co-op, our job is to serve as buying agents for our members, not to serve as selling agents for food companies. In the grocery industry, it’s a very different way of doing business. Our job is to find and provide the best-quality products for our customers, period.

•  We’ve found some great alternatives! There are other products with the same values as Applegate, and we plan to offer those instead.

Love Applegate? Try These!

Pasture-Raised Option
The Piggery is a family-owned butcher shop featuring pork and house-made charcuterie from its New York-based farm, as well as pork from its farm partners. The Piggery is a pastured, small-scale operation and works with other farms raising their animals the same way. Learn more at: www.thepiggery.net

Organic Option
Check out Plainville Farms Organic Turkey! This option is USDA certified organic and has no carrageenan or added nitrates, MSG, or phosphates. The turkeys are raised with no antibiotics or animal by-products. Plainville Farms has a humane policy for raising turkeys in a stress-free environment. This turkey is also gluten free!

Antibiotic-Free Option
Plainville Farms antibiotic-free deli meats will be available in both turkey and ham varieties. These deli meats have no antibiotics, animal by-products, carrageenan, nitrates, MSG, or phosphates. Plainville Farms has a humane policy for raising poultry and pigs in a stress-free environment. And yep, these products are gluten free, too!

Other Options
The Co-op will also expand our line of Boar’s Head packaged, pre-sliced meats and cheeses!

Questions?
We’d love to hear from you. Send us an email at comment@coopfoodstore.com.

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Ken Davis

Ken Davis is the Co-op's senior copywriter. Email him at kdavis@coopfoodstore.com.