Earth's Best Organic Baby Food

Earth's Best produces a full line of organic baby food products available in mass-market retail outlets like Hannaford and Wal-Mart. Made with no artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, and no genetically engineered meat or produce ingredients, the Earth's Best line is completely organic. Additionally, there are no added sugars, salt, or modified starches, and the cereal products it offeres are made from whole grains.

Organic baby food is a niche product that has begun to grow in popularity recently, especially in light of concerns over food safety, hormone and antibiotic use in food animals, and chemical pesticide contamination. Picked up by the Hain Celestial Group (which also produces Celestial Seasonings teas, Westsoy soy milk, and Terra Chips) in 2000, Earth's Best has actually been making organic baby food purees since 1985. Originally based in Vermont, Earth's Best was started by brothers Ron and Arnie Koss, who sought to produce food for growing babies that was healthy both for them and for the environment.

To produce it's organic baby food, Earth's Best relies on organic growers for its produce. The "USDA Organic" badge on its packaging confirms that at least 95 percent of the fruits and vegetables that find their way into Earth's Best organic baby food are grown in soil that is not polluted by harsh chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. (Earth's Best is certified to be organic by Oregon Tilth.)

In addition to infant formula and cereal, Earth's Best offers a 3-stage line of jarred organic baby foods. Stage 1, for ages 4 months and up, comprises six smooth purees of single fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, and peas. Stage 2 offers 33 flavors in single and combined fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats. The texture is a bit more complex in stage 2, for babies 6 months and older. Flavors in stage 2 include Pears & Raspberries, Plum Banana Brown Rice, Harvest Squash Turkey, and Chicken Tomato Pastina. Stage 3, for babies ages 9 months and older, offers chunkier blends of organic baby food in flavors such as Peach Apricot Muesli, Butternut Squash Bisque (a soup!), and Spring Vegetables with Pasta.

Many varieties of Earth's Best organic baby food are vegan, wheat-free, and kosher. Earth's best also offers whole-grain organic baby food cereals, juices, semolina pastina, and teething biscuits that come in wheat and barley varieties and are rich in calcium.

A 4-ounce (113 g) jar of Earth's Best organic baby food retails for about 85 cents to $1.00 (US). A 4.6-ounce package of teething biscuits sells for about $2.75 (US). Earth's Best organic baby food products may be purchased online from the Earth's Best store (http://earthsbest.elsstore.com/).