Central Market (HEB Organics)
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | San Antonio, TX |
| Products | Fluid milk |
| Website | www.heb.com/static-page/H-E-B-Organics |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 0 |
Store brands include organic milk that has been privately labeled by grocery chains. Typically, these businesses buy products wholesale and then market those finished or packaged products with their own labels.
The inherent problem with private labels is that they lack transparency. Store brands may get their milk from highly rated producers, but they may also source from factory-scale dairies. Grocery chains or distributors typically offer low prices for store brands because they source the cheapest products available on the market at any given time. This variability in product sourcing makes it difficult, sometimes impossible, for consumers to determine where and how the products was produced.
In the past, HEB has purchased milk from Natural Prairie Dairy, one of the largest “organic” dairies in the country. Cornucopia has filed multiple legal complaints with the USDA against Natural Prairie Dairy and its certifier, the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Cornucopia recommends caution with store brands like this one. Invested consumers can contact stores to confirm who is supplying their private-label milk and encourage them to be completely transparent about their sourcing—even when it changes.
| Criteria | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1600 plus extra credit) | 0 | 1-Cow Rating | Poor |
Farmstead dairies earn the most points. Corporations that have a history of skirting the organic rules receive the fewest. Ownership structure | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that produce 100% of their milk receive the most points. Milk from "open market" or known confinement dairies receive the fewest. Milk Supply | 0 | No answer |
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100% organic farms receive the most points. Split operations with conventional dairy on the same property receive the fewest. Organic Production | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that completed the survey in detail received the most points.
Disclosure of Information for Verification | 0 | No answer |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certification | 0 | No answer |
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Animal Welfare Approved and Biodynamic certifications receive the most bonus points. Producers are not penalized for not having additional certifications beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 0 | No answer |
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100% grass-fed with independent verification of standards Grass-fed | 0 | No answer |
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No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy Free Ration? | No answer. Soy is likely used in feed. | |
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Sliding scale based on policies, enforcement, acreage/cow, days/year on pasture, and permissible exemption. Pasture | 0 | No answer |
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One time/day receives the most points. Two times per day is standard. Times Milked | 0 | No answer |
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Lower cull rate scores better, with under 10% receiving the most points. Cull/death Rate | 0 | No answer |
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Farms with closed herds receive the most points. Farms that sell organic calves and buy conventional replacements receive the fewest. Replacements | 0 | No answer |
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Standard practice is removing calves shortly after birth, with extra points given for unique ways of managing calves
Calves | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that prohibit antibiotics receive the most points. Farms that allow young stock to receive antibiotics (under one year), receive the fewest.
Antibiotic Use | 0 | No answer; animals given antibiotics may be introduced back into food stream after withdrawal times. |
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No hormones is the standard, however some farms do use oxytocin for therapeutic purposes. Hormone Usage | 0 | No answer; hormones may be used therapeutically |
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Farmstead dairies (owner lives on-site) receive the most points. Fewer points are given as oversight declines. Farm Support | 0 | No answer |
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All ingredients sourced from inside the organization or on the farm receives the highest points. Ingredients from confinement factory farms and/or imported ingredients receive the fewest. Procurement of Ingredients | 0 | No answer |
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Various levels of extra credit given for 1) providing full organic systems plan, 2) providing details on all farms (multi-farm brands, details on largest five required), and 3) sourcing feed on-farm or domestically. Extra Credit | 0 | None |
