Harris Teeter Organics (Kroger)
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Matthews, NC |
| Products | Fluid milk |
| Website | www.harristeeter.com |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 17 |
Private-label, or store-brand, dairy products rated with one cow are sold by grocers or distributors who have the obvious desire of wanting to grow their presence in the organic marketplace. This is great news! Making organics more convenient and affordable to consumers is wonderful goal.
Unfortunately, there is an inherent limitation in private-label organic products: organic consumers tend to want to know where their food is coming from and how it is produced. Private-label products obscure these facts.
Even though none of the one cow rated brands responded to our survey request, we were able to determine that these brands were, at the time of our research, buying some or all of their organic milk from factory-farm sources. We conducted our research in this area through interviews with a number of industry sources and through federally maintained records.
The bottom line to private-label organic products is that they are “buyer beware.” We encourage consumers to be vigilant and contact stores to confirm who is supplying their private-label milk, or to just pay an extra quarter or two for name-brand milk from farmers and brands that are willing to be open with them and who share their values.
| Criteria | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1600) | 17 | 1-Cow Rating | Poor - Store brands |
 Farmstead dairies who live on-site (or work their own dairy daily) receive top points for this category. No transparency and/or no answer receive no points. Ownership structure | 1 | No answer |
| Farmstead dairies and well-managed cooperatives with only their own patrons get top points in this category. Fewer points go to brands that have less control over their milk supply. Milk Supply | 1 | No answer |
| Brands that do not also market any conventional products receive top points in this category. Brands that are less dedicated to organics receive fewer points. Organic Production | 1 | No answer |
| The best transparency toward Cornucopia investigators is rewarded by full points. Disclosure of Information for Verification | 1 | No answer |
| If a top-rated organic certifier certifies this brand they receive full points. Certifiers with questionable practices receive fewer points. Organic Certification | 1 | No answer |
| If this brand has other third-party labels, particularly animal-welfare labels, that will provide them extra points in this category depending on the particular label and its standards. Other Labels/Standards | 1 | No answer |
| 100% Grass-fed with independent verification or independent standards to ensure compliance will receive full points in this category. Other points are attributed to how much forage composes the dairy cows’ diets. Grass-fed | 1 | No answer |
| No point value – this information is offered for buyers interested in milk from cows without soy in their diets. Soy Free Ration? | No answer. Soy is likely used in feed. | |
| Rating based on (a) policies of brand, (b) enforcement/oversight (c) acreage available per cow, (d) average days on pasture (e) investigative actions. Pasture | 1 | No answer |
| Where cows are milked one to two times per day they receive top points. It's standard organic protocol to milk two times a day. Dairies that milk three-to-four times a day is one indicator of factory-organics. Times Milked | 1 | No answer |
| A cull and/or death rate under 10% annually receives full points. Cull/death Rate | 1 | No answer |
| Closed herd (meaning the brand raises all their replacement cattle) receives full points. If conventional animals are purchased, the brand receives fewer points. Replacements | 1 | No answer |
| If this brand has a unique way of managing calves they receive more points. If they remove the calf shortly after birth (the standard practice) they receive 70 points. Calves | 1 | No answer |
| When the brand prohibits all antibiotic use they receive full points. No answer receives no points. Antibiotic Use | 1 | No answer; animals given antibiotics may be introduced back into food stream after withdrawal times. |
| When no hormones are used on farm(s) this brand receives full points. When the brand uses hormones therapeutically post-birth the brand receives 50 points. Hormone Usage | 1 | No answer; hormones may be used therapeutically |
| Farmstead dairies (lives on site) get full points and cooperative/corporations that set standards and have staff that visit the supplying dairies also receive top points. No direct supervision and/or personal relationship with farm(s) gets low or no points. Farm Support | 1 | No answer |
| Full control of any added ingredients (100% come from within organization) receives top points. Dairy ingredients purchased from a number of different vendors (with less direct control) receives fewer points in this category. Procurement of Ingredients | 1 | No answer |
| Several questions were asked in addition to the original survey questions that would ultimately give producers “extra credit” points. Look for details in individual brand explanations. Extra Credit | 1 | None |