Organic food in Moscow

Organic products have struggled to compete in Moscow because the meaning of the word "organic" is not quite clear for the public and the prices are unaffordable for the average Muscovite. The system for certifying organic products in Russia is not standardized yet, and there are only a few certified organic producers in the country. Therefore, products are mainly imported, reports the Moscow Times. The organic market did not have a good start in the city.

Picture: Bio Gourmet in Moscow

Having opened its doors in April 2004, the organic store Ryzhaya Tykva, or Orange Pumpkin, closed again only a year later. But other specialised organic food shops have been opened across Moscow recently.

The organic shop and café Bio Gourmet (picture) opened in December 2006 and offers more than 2,000 products - meat, fish, fresh vegetables, fruits and cosmetics from around the world -  including Siberia and Lake Baikal, but the majority comes from Europe. Organic bread is baked in-store three times a day, and fresh vegetables and fruit are delivered from France every week. The store operates a delivery service throughout Moscow and the café serves a range of organic dishes. It is currently closed, but hopefully will reopen soon. BIO Gourmet, 40/1 Ul. Ostozhenka, M. Park Kultury, 246-1128.

There are seven Globus Gourmet stores in Moscow, selling food from America, Europe, Asia and Africa. These food boutiques also offer organic products. On the café's menu next door to the branch on Novy Arbat, dishes are prepared from products available in-store. Arivera.ru is an Internet shop 

offering more than 3,000 organic products for delivery, which are imported from Europe.

The ecosupermarket Grunwald (picture) opened in fall 2006 on the exclusive Rublyovskoe Shosse and offers over 3,000 certified products from across Europe, including food, cosmetics and pet food. There is also a cafe, a chocolate machine and a mill in the store's bakery. Grunwald, 30/1 Rublyovskoe Shosse, 413-0565.

There are two Organiclab stores in Moscow stocking organic food. Each store also has a cafe, with fresh smoothies as specialities. Organic Lab, www.organiclab.ru.

Many of Moscow's superstores have organic food sections, with the widest range at Azbuka Vkusa. www.azbukavkusa.ru. Organic food is also available in health food shops, such as Dzhagannat, which is also a cafe. Dzhagannat, 11 Kuznetsky Most, M. Kuznetsky Most 628-3580. There are also some New Age shops, such as Put K Sebe. Put K Sebe, 16 Krasnoproletarskaya Ul., M. Novoslobodskaya, 746-5347 and 6 Novokuznetskaya Ul., M. Novokuznetskaya, 951-9129
 

Source:
http://www.themoscowtimes.com