Just about a year ago, tainted food killed more than a dozen dogs and cats around the United States, and a massive recall involved more than 100 varieties of edible pet products from a range of big-selling brands. As the crisis snowballed, there was a lot of talk about how the recall had given a boost to the sellers of natural, organic or raw pet foods, as panicked consumers sought safe alternatives. In fact, such brands reported that sales had doubled or tripled or better, while news accounts said that mainstream brands were scrambling. A fundamental shift in mass-market consumer behavior seemed to be under way. Was it?

Food scares seem increasingly routine lately – in February, a California company ordered what has been reported as the largest beef recall ever – and they have caused organic-product spikes at least since 1989. That’s when “60 Minutes” highlighted the potential dangers of a pesticide called Alar that was used on apples, an episode that might count as a key moment of the contemporary organics movement, according to Samuel Fromartz, author of “Organic, Inc.”

Consider, then, the experience of Waggintails.com, a retailer specializing in natural and organic pet products in the aftermath of the pet-food recall. “Our business increased probably close to 50 percent for a couple of months,” John Gigliotti, the founder, says. “And then, interestingly enough, it kind of went back to normal.” He figures that his overall sales growth for the year was around 25 percent – impressive but far closer to the online store’s 10 to 15 percent annual growth rate of recent years…

 

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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02wwln-consumed-t.html?ref=magazine