Organic not always more expensive
The company compared more than 100 product pairings in all. On average, organic foods were 47 percent more expensive, but the range was huge. In a couple of instances, the organic product was actually cheaper, by as much as 13 percent for honey at Amazon Fresh. In fact, depending on where we shopped, we found organic lettuce carrots, maple syrup, olive oil, and cream cheese for the same price or less than their conventional counterparts.
At the other extreme, organic zucchini cost a whopping 303 percent more than nonorganic at Fresh Direct. (The two tables below cover eight grocers. Table 1 looks at Amazon Fresh, Fresh Direct, Harris Teeter, and Peapod; table 2 includes Price Chopper, Safeway, Walmart, and Whole Foods.)
In Consumer Reports’ most recent supermarkets survey of of nearly 63,000 subscribers, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Costco, Sprouts Farmers Markets had the best overall prices on organics. But if you don’t have access to any of those chains, check out the prices at several stores. As we learned, prices can be dramatically different and change based on weekly promotions.
Click here to continue reading and see price comparison charts at consumerreports.org
