Organic food trend chips out a niche in snack food aisle

0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2004 | by Bruce Horovitz

Organic food is breaking out of the produce section to a spot few anticipated: the snack aisle.

Forget stereotypes of pristine strawberries or zucchinis untouched by preservatives, pesticides, hormones or antibiotics. It's sales of organic snacks, also produced in accordance with government rules to be labeled "organic," that are on fire.

Sales of organic chips, nuts, nutrition bars and candy jumped 29.6% last year. That was outpaced only by organic meats (including poultry and fish), reports the Organic Trade Association.

All the good things about the $23 billion organic food industry are being processed by foodmakers at a near-frenetic pace into convenient snack foods.

Organics are Frito-Lay's fastest-growing line. In a year, Frito-Lay has emerged...