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Anywhey You Want It

Protein is something humans reap naturally from food. From hunter-gatherer times, until the 1950’s, people seemed to survive, grow and function just fine without additives and supplements, so what happened? In the early 1900’s, a man named Bob Hoffman was one of the first people to suggest nutrition influenced the health and strength of a “man” (24, Hall and Fair).

Bob Hoffman greatly protested the early protein powders. He believed everything humans needed for an ideal physique could be provided by a balanced diet. His focus on nutrition’s bodily effect prompted people to pursue a perfected form—a way to maximize protein consumption, for a better physical outcome.

Thus, protein powder was born. One of the first was “by Patton’s dietetic of Los Angeles and Schenectady and contained such ingredients as soy beans, deep sea kelp, and whole wheat germ” (24, Hall and Fair). This sparked the beginning of body building that Americans, today, may be more familiar with. Protein became a revolutionary way to bulk muscle, without eating massive amounts of food.

So if protein powder was born among the body building community in Los Angeles, how did it end up in the hands of the average consumer? Re-appropriation of protein supplements to target specific demographics like professional athletes, body builders, or people looking to lose weight, has driven the market in multiple directions. Protein powder was born from a culture obsessed with physical appearance. Now that protein products are becoming more ubiquitous in grocery stores, questions of who has access to such an excessive product and why are they buying it come to mind. Could protein powder be an indicator of larger cultural beauty standards?

Ulterior to the relationship between protein powder, working out and beauty standards, the expansive availability of vegan protein powders may be in response to increased popularity of veganism and vegetarianism. Agriculture and animal production are two of the largest contributors of green-house gases and climate change. In response, research has suggested Americans should reduce meat consumption to discourage animal production (Joyce, et al, 2012).

Being the meat centered culture that America is, concerns of protein deficiency are large. Protein powder then becomes a viable option to help make up any nutritional gaps created by the omission of animal products. This study cannot speak for all American’s, however, so from her on I will be talking about protein powder consumers.

Funny enough, modern vegan powders are not totally unlike the original made back in 1950, soy is still a fairly common additive. The major difference between then and now though, is that people want more than just protein, they want a full serving of vegetables, antioxidant fruits, super food blends, biotin, collagen, vitamins, probiotics—things that would not be in your average hamburger.

My point is, protein powder has become a lot more than just protein, it’s become more of a cultural product in America, and for this study D.C. It is still used by athletes and body builders, but now D.C. residents outside these categories are hoppin’ on the Whey Train, hoping these magical protein powders will transform them as well. A self-awareness of environmental impact, in hand with influences from cultural beauty and fitness paradigms, creates an imaginary necessity for protein powder.

Understanding protein powder is not vital for survival, I would like to reconfigure it as a dietary accessory. Using ethnographic data collected from GNC, Safeway, Whole Foods and CVS, I use the position of protein powder in the store, as well as the availability of natural/conventional powders to generate an idea of the kind of customer these stores are targeting.

So what is my protein powder consumer profile? It seems the person stores are marketing to is affluent, health oriented and body conscious. Quick disclaimer: I only witnessed protein powder being purchased once during my time in the field, so all of my conclusions as to who protein consumers really are, are drawn from observations of the greater environment of each store.

Out in the real world D.C. residents do purchase protein powder. The fact that specialty stores, like GNC, exist shows there is demand in D.C.; however, I think demand for vegan or ‘natural’ protein powder is growing. 

GNC has a limited selection of “healthy” powders, as the majority of their brands contain long lists of unknown (and unpronounceable) substances. The lack of business when I visited the store seems to suggest a decline in the popularity of their products, though I would also posit online markets may reflect a very different reality. These observations from GNC, combined with high prices ranging from $19.99 to $64.99, tells me protein buyers must be of higher economic status. Being located in a business area of D.C., I also suggest GNC’s protein customer is educated and health conscious (because they are buying protein powder).

Whole Foods has a growing supply of natural protein powders. The average Whole Foods customer fits the archetype of my consumer—affluent and health conscious with the added bonus of environmental awareness. Whole Foods itself has a reputation for being fairly elite, as suggested by its nickname, “Whole Paycheck.” The high prices, starting at $25.99, of natural protein powder works to limit those who have access to the additive, repositioning protein as a status symbol (and supporting my hypothesized affluency of a protein powder consumer).

Safeway tries to recreate the Whole Foods upper class ambiance by placing protein powder in the ‘natural’ aisle, which stands apart from the rest of the store because of its ‘natural’ wood flooring and organic labels. The aesthetic shift accentuates the segregation of ‘natural’ foods from the rest of the store. Protein powders can only be found in this aisle, and their selection is limited to natural and vegan brands.

Prices did start a little lower, at $16.99, however the large aisles, carts and adjacency to neighborhoods, suggested it is more of family grocery store. Therefore, these prices may still be considered high if two or more people are using the protein product.

The aesthetic separation of the natural aisle works to further emphasize protein powder as a status symbol by mimicking “whole paycheck.” Consumers of natural protein powder are physically and economically separate from the average Safeway shopper.

CVS bridges the gap between Whole Foods and Safeway as it has both natural and conventional protein powders, despite its limited selection. Once more, I would like to bring attention to the placement of the conventional powder behind a support beam. This suggests CVS prioritizes the visibility of the natural protein powders. Maybe this means they expect customers who are looking for protein powder to be looking for natural brands. The natural products are consistently more expensive, starting at $23.99, than those that are not, which start at $20.79. The customer who purchases the natural product is likely someone with the resources to do so. Yes, there are the conventional options, but it seems clear that protein powders have taken a turn for the natural and expensive.

Discussion Looking across the four stores, protein powder is clearly a dietary accessory. Where powders once served a specific purpose for body builders, protein markets have expanded their appeal by incorporating other nutritional additives. High prices limit the accessibility of protein powder, something even greater affected by the even higher prices of natural products. The concept of ‘natural’ seems to be a marketing tool used by stores (with the exception of GNC because they have a more specific weight lifting demographic). “Natural” and “organic” tend to have upper class connotations or affiliations due to price trends (and whole paycheck). Protein powder’s affiliation with body builders may appeal to consumers’ desire to improve their musculature, but I argue this association is too limited now.

The socioeconomic affiliation with “natural” pricing and superadditives advertised on protein powder labels began to appeal to a broader audience. The cosmetic origins of protein continue on today as they aid in achieving cultural ‘fit’ beauty standards. This leads me to believe my Whey Train people are of a middle to upper socioeconomic class who seem to favor plant-based proteins in the interest of improving their health and physique.  

Adele Queener

Hall, Daniel and Fair, John. (2004). The Pioneers of Protein. Iron Game History. 8(3), 23-34.

Joyce, A., Dixon, A., Comfort, J. & Hallett, J. (2012). Reducing the Environmental Impact of Dietary Choice: Perspectives from a Behavioral and Social Change Approach. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. Doi:10.1155/2012/978672.  

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C H O C O L A T E #5 (that’s all for now folks)

Ah, I returned to my base at last.

I went to the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods again to see if the chocolate section had changed since my first time documenting it; or, if I brought fresh eyes to the wall after my other site research.

The “chocolate aisle” is located in the same area as it was during my first post. Echoing my first post, the chocolate bar section at the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods is located on a single wall by the registers at the back of the store. The chocolate bars are united with other kinds of non-chocolate candy and other chocolate products. They are next to a beer cooler and adjacent to the coffee bar.

The only major difference this time around is that the chocolate bar display was much neater, fully stocked, and lacking holiday marketing signs. I also found some chocolate bars opposite the large permanent chocolate display.

The chocolate bars are located on the left-most section of the “candy wall.” While I was there the chocolate was being stocked so there was a large cart and an employee standing in front of a portion of the display. It is still unclear to me how the chocolates are arranged vertically because the prices do not show a pattern. The organic, fair-trade, dairy free, and eco-friendly chocolate is all mixed in as well and there is no visual divide or hierarchy. 

Whole Foods brand was located on the bottom shelf again, this time they had more of a variety and even had some organic options with waterfall and rainforest imagery. The “regular” Whole Foods chocolate is organic but these rainforest chocolates are EVEN MORE ORGANIC somehow. They also claim to be made from rainforest conscious cocoa.

I found my favorite endangered species brand again, this time the package had an eagle on it (image 3). This brand also had some clearly strange marketing going on. The majority of Endangered Species Chocolate has beautiful, artistic packaging that I deeply admire. Yet, one bar has a completely different logo and aesthetic. They both clearly display the profit donation and their fair-trade label so it is unclear to me why this one bar strays from the pack.

This time around I found a much larger flavor variety, and because the shelves were stocked better it felt easier to stare at all of the brands and make a decision about trying a new one. The organization added to my shopping experience. The organization also made the wall feel more inviting color wise. There was a greater variety of colors present and it felt more inviting than a disheveled wall. 

The chocolate bars in the checkout line were significantly more expensive than those on the wall. These chocolates are at eye level. They appear to be more expensive due to the funky flavors offered such as bacon or black salt. These chocolates would go great with the canned wine below them as a treat to bring to a get together.

I found this experience to be the best of all of my chocolate searches because of the order on the shelves and the quietness of the store.  

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Week 4: Jams at CVS by Mister M

My previous trip was at Dean & DeLuca the pinnacle of “haute cuisine” in Georgetown. This week I decided to keep it more impromptu and spontaneous and shopped at the CVS store on Pennsylvania Avenue at the center of the Foggy Bottom area.                                                       

The CVS Pharmacy is a subsidiary of the American retail and health care company CVS Health. Currently, CVS Pharmacy is the largest pharmacy chain in the United States with over 10,000 stores. CVS sells prescription drugs and a wide assortment of general merchandise, including over-the-counter medications, beauty products, cosmetics, seasonal merchandise, home health care products, food, and healthcare services in its medical mini-clinics. Products at CVS are usually more expensive compared to other supermarkets as the prices reflect and incorporate the expenses for the convenience of the CVS location and the 24-hour availability.

This was my first time searching for jams at this specific CVS store as I usually buy them at either Whole Foods or Trader Joes. I went to the CVS store on Penn Avenue for jam-hunting on Wednesday at around 5pm after finishing all my schoolwork. Honestly, I found it hard to find the jam section at CVS. Instinctively, I knew they would be located on the first floor, but it took me more time than I expected to find them. As I entered the store from 21st street I immediately turned to the right and after spending at least 10 minutes walking around the store, I finally found them. They were located on aisle 15 at the “Cereal, Coffee, Groceries” section.

Like at many other stores, jams are located together with peanut butter and honey. This time, however, jams occupy only half a shelf. Obviously, jams here are not organic or GMO free and are only made from grapes, strawberries, and oranges compared to the more exotic jams at Whole Foods and Dean & DeLuca.  

All the jams at CVS are in plain see-through big and bulky plastic or glass jars with very simple labels on them. Prices are also very average ranging from $3.39-$4.69 pre-tax. After I made my small research on the costs, tags, and labels I tried to walk around the store and pay attention to the people who would stop and buy any. To my surprise, not even one person stopped to buy any jams or jellies within almost thirty minutes.

So, this week’s conclusion from a jam connoisseur: CVS needs to promote the jams more effectively and better label them if it really wants to profit from them.

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C H O C O L A T E #2

I continued my search for chocolate within and around GW’s campus at CVS on Pennsylvania Avenue and 21st street. I found a completely different array of chocolates here than in Whole Foods where everything is marketed towards the health conscious shopper. I also experienced an extreme amount of valentine’s day marketing, having visited the day before valentine’s day.

Shoppers can find chocolate in several locations in this CVS. Immediately upon entering the store I found a table with roses, chocolate and lots of love (image 1). This table was clearly temporary and only there for the impending holiday. The largest selection of chocolate is on the ground floor to the left before the stairs. There is also chocolate below the cash registers on both the top and bottom level of the store

The most expensive chocolate bars were the ones located in the chocolate aisle (image 2) These were brands like Ghirardelli, Lindt, and interestingly the same endangered species brand that I found at Whole Foods too. In the same isle beyond the fancy chocolate brands there were other kinds of candy and chocolate packages with individually wrapped chocolates inside, like the kind you give out to friends on valentine’s day.

In the chocolate aisle there are not only more expensive chocolate but also chocolate in bigger quantities and crisper packaging. The top most shelf holds more expensive boxes of chocolates like Ferraro Roche, Ghirardelli squares, and Lindt truffles. The shelves below those boxes contain single chocolate bars and bags of valentine’s Day themed individually wrapped candies (image 2)

The more common “everyday” chocolate bars like Hershey’s products were located on the shelfs below the register next to gum (image 3). This section of chocolate was most clearly there to be grab and go candy. Because of the placement of these bars it would be uncomfortable to take your time scoping them out and making a decision. It would also be uncomfortable to the register while someone else is paying to grab a candy bar. Therefore, it seems like the only time someone would grab these chocolate bars would be in a split second before they complete their purchase of the item they intended to buy. In my opinion as the chocolate connoisseur that I am, the available flavors as CVS are very classic flavors. This includes options like milk chocolate, peanut butter, orange, sea salt, caramel, hazelnut and coconut.

The overwhelming majority of chocolate in this CVS was marketed for valentine’s day with packaging that has valentine’s day themes (image 3). An example of this marketing is heart shaped Reese’s, red and pink colors, and some chocolate that comes with other materials to make a valentine for classmates. The most prominent marketing was of course on the first table at the entrance of the store where flowers and chocolate were being sold together, the perfect combination to tell someone you love them apparently (image 1). Beyond valentines themed chocolate, the more expensive bars are more neutral colors like white, black, brown, sometimes gold. Their packaging is in a shaped box making them all the same size. There are typically a picture of a piece of chocolate on the packaging as well as the ingredient that makes the chocolate special such as orange. The more “classic” candy bars below the register have brighter colors and bolder fonts when compared to the neutral dainty fonts of the more expensive brands.

With the exception of the Valentine’s display right when entering, most of the chocolate in CVS was located in easily accessible aisles on the entrance level of the floor. A shopper would not have to search very hard to find this chocolate. 

In my brief stay in one of the isles I witnessed several people buying chocolate. The people ranged in perceived genders and ages from college age to older people. The shoppers didn’t linger in the isle for a long time but instead quickly grabbed what they probably always grabbed and went on their way. Since so much of the chocolate shopping experience in CVS was fast paced, both with the shoppers who picked a bar up and the location of bars under the register for last minute purchases, it appears CVS pushes chocolate as a last minute add on item. While it doesn’t seem like it would be unusual to go to CVS solely for chocolate, it does seem like it would be hard to purchase something else with out grabbing a bar as well.

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Non dairy milk essentials: Wholefoods

I took my Wholefoods trip at GW on Sunday, February 10th,   at around 3pm. After three years of studying at GW and moving off campus in my final year, I go to this Wholefoods less often than before. I think that is partly because I can no longer afford it, but also it is packed all the time with people from all around campus. As I walked in today, I saw that the Valentine’s day decoration was already up. The entrance was lined with pink champagne and dangling heart decoration. For a Sunday, there were not a lot of people. I slowly walked downstairs and found myself at the non-dairy milk section.

I chose the topic of non-dairy milk because I have recently developed an interest in it. Over the last year, I suddenly became lactose intolerant. Before that, I was eating cereal every morning with whole milk. I even loved the fancy organic milk with cream on top that Wholefoods sells because of its creaminess and milk flavor.

However, I started getting seriously sick after drinking whole milk since last year; this year I finally decided to admit my condition and look for alternatives. As we brought up in class, milk lobbyists have been debating over whether non-dairy milk should be called milk at all since they do not contain any dairy.

After I walked down the stairs, I went straight to the non-dairy milk section which is located at the second aisle to the left. I find its location interesting because just one aisle over are the fridges where they have all the milk and dairy products that contrast the non-dairy section. There was only one other person, who appeared to be a woman, looking at cereal options when I was there. She seemed like a young adult and not a GW student. It is amazing how students seemed to all decide to slow down and relax on a Sunday before classes start again.

The first thing I saw in the aisle was the non-dairy milk on my left. The milk occupied two full selves and presented me with varieties of milk alternatives. My first impression from this sight was to wonder what product I should get. They all had some sort of visual image on the package to help you recognize the main ingredient of the drink. I noticed that they had the word “beverage” or “drink” on the label to avoid confusion with dairy milk.

As I spent more time staring at the shelves, I realised that though it was a huge section with lots of products, some of them were actually repetitive. They would put the same product on different shelves to help catch people’s attention more. They also did it to replace some of the out of stock products as I realised the macadamia milk that I got the other day was no longer on the shelf. At eye level where products are easy to grab was Wholefood’s own brand of non-dairy milk.

There was a wide range of variety, from almond to coconut, and they came in different flavours too such as vanilla or unsweetened. The Whole foods brand is significantly cheaper, starting from $1.99 whereas the other brands usually starts from $3. By doing this, Wholefoods has an advantage over other brands on leading customers to opt for their own products instead of other options.

The longer I stayed at that section, the more I could smell from there. Immediately next to the non-dairy section was baking ingredient and pancake mix; right across were boxes after boxes of cereal and granola. I got a faint hint of sweetness from standing there staring at all the sweet breakfast options. It almost felt warm just thinking about having pancakes in the morning, and maybe a glass of non-dairy milk.

Wholefoods strategically placed the non-dairy beverages along with other traditional breakfast food in the same aisle. I felt that it gives a familiar feeling to customers and serves as a reminder that it is an alternative to milk. Instead of walking one aisle over to look for the milk, people could easily pick up a box of non-dairy milk and cereal for breakfast. Aside from its convenient location with other breakfast essentials, it is also cheaper and easier to digest than milk.

Having that in mind, customers might find themselves choosing non-dairy beverages over milk more frequently.

Monica Cheung

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Spice Up Your Life, It’s Good For You

Ah, spices… They can give depth to any dish by enhancing its flavor. But they also have a variety of functions beyond improving taste. Not only are spices are valued for medicinal purposes, but also because they kill food borne microorganisms by inhibiting toxin growth. Before I explore, analyze, and discuss the role of spices within the context of food and culture in the D.C. area, I should first begin with a definition.

For this project, I visited five grocery stores- Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Safeway, Streets Market, and Capitol Supermarket- in the Northwest area of D.C. and did optical observations and analysis on commodity of my choice: spices. In my first blog post, I purposely did not define spices in order to avoid confining my optical observations and field notes to align with a particular definition. But it is now time to address and define this subcategory of food. In the literature, most scholars seem to agree that “the term spice refers to any dried plant product used primarily for seasoning, be it the seed, leaves, bark or flower” (Pepping Up Production 2009, p. 8). Furthermore, “each spice has a unique aroma and flavor that derives from ‘secondary compounds,’ chemicals that are secondary (not essential) to the plant's basic metabolism” (Sherman & Flaxman 2001, p. 142), which are important components that contribute to the enduring value and function of spices.

If one of the functions of spices is to kill toxic microorganisms, which subsequently protects humans from food-borne disease, it is no wonder that spices are so popular and high in demand across the world. This importance became evident in my fieldwork through the sheer quantity and selection of spices in the five grocery stores I explored. The five sites, which were all located in the Northwest area of D.C., all differed in their spice selection, pricing, packaging, and location. While the variety and amount of spices differed across all five grocery stores, each one contained an aisle, or section, exclusively for spices and seasonings. One overarching and consistent observation had to do with the amount of space dedicated to popular and commonly used spices, such as garlic powder, allspice, oregano, cumin. In all five grocery stores-- Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Capitol Supermarket, Streets Market, and Safeway-- at least one of those listed spices was in abundance and easily identifiable within the spice aisle (placed at eye level or spread out across one row). Unsurprisingly, this is not random. According to Sherman and Flaxman’s (2001) research, who predicted that spices used in cooking should exhibit antimicrobial activity, “the four most potent spices- garlic, onion, allspice and oregano- killed every bacterial species tested,” (p. 143) which was evidently reflected through the volume and space dedicated to those particular items in the five grocery stores I visited. What I initially believed was a ploy to entice customers to buy larger quantities of basic yet essential spices was actually consistent with the finding their potency is extremely effective in killing toxic bacteria found in food and other spices.

Another consistent observation across all five supermarkets was an overall emphasis and preference for selling organic spices, which I didn’t quite understand until I began reading about spice contamination. Contamination in spices can occur in a number of ways, one of which is through mycotoxins (mold), especially if a spice is dried on bare ground (Pepping Up Production 2009, p. 9). Additionally, spices like coriander, paprika, and chilis can also become contaminated through storage pest infestation (Pepping Up Production 2009, p. 9). In order to avoid pesticides and/or chemical contamination, organic spice farmers dedicate/spend additional time and energy (getting certifications, partnering with producers, shorter harvesting periods, not drying their own spices) to ensure the proper growth, quality, and packaging of their spices prior to exportation (Pepping Up Production 2009, p. 8). This phenomenon thus explains and is consistent with the price spike that accompanies most, if not all, spices labelled as organic across all grocery stores, especially in Streets Market, where organic spices were twice as expensive as in Whole Foods or Safeway.

Something that increasingly perplexed me as I visited the grocery stores was the relatively small amount of spicy or hot spices sold, such as curry powder (it was stocked but with little to no variety), aleppo pepper (did not find in any store), cajun (only sold at two of the five grocery stores!), chiles (most grocery stores sold it but the variety was underwhelming), or berbere (only at Whole Foods). After reading Sherman and Flaxman’s research (2001), who postulated that “the use of spices should be greatest in hot climates, where unrefrigerated foods spoil quickly” (p. 144), the lack of hot spices began to make sense given Washington D.C.’s climate and geography. Located in a humid subtropical zone characterized by cold winters and hot and humid summers, Washington, D.C. is not subject to immense contamination or spoilage, which might explain the relatively low presence and variety of spicy spices sold in various grocery stores, and that’s not accounting for the increasing presence of foreign populations. Capitol Supermarket, for example, was one of two grocery stores (the other one being Whole Foods) that included an immense selection and variety of hot spices for its customers, which may reflect the presence and cuisine preferences of Latino populations in the area.

Unlike Whole Foods, Capitol Supermarket, and Trader Joes, Safeway and Streets Market were the two most ‘neutral’ stores in the sense that they didn’t seem to cater their products and prices to specific populations. Given the selection, location, arrangement, and pricing of the grocery stores and their spices, I gathered that the Capitol Supermarket spice selection is tailored to Latinx groups and people of lower socio-economic status (cheap pricing, wide selection of Central and South American spices); Whole Foods spices are for avid home cooks and foodies, college students, and individuals from higher socio-economic status (ethnic and organic spices, medium to high pricing); and Trader Joes spices are for college students and individuals who don’t have time to prepare and cook elaborate or complex dishes (cheap pricing, small quantities, little spice variety). By contrast, the spice selection in Safeway and Streets Market did not seem to have selections tailored to particular populations or cuisines, although one could argue that the ridiculously overpriced spices in Streets Market are not affordable or economically effective for populations of lower socio-economic status.

Food, which is essential for survival, is also deeply embedded in culture, identity, customs/practices, history, health, geography, and lifestyle. Spices, which are a small but significant feature of food preparation and consumption across the world, provide a window for studying food and culture by revealing underlying social, medicinal, and sensorial functions and values of seasonings within a particular society, community, or group. While this fieldwork project exclusively focused on the distal (receiving) end of the food supply chain, i.e. grocery stores, I gained a lot of knowledge almost exclusively through optical observation, which allowed me to make sense of a variety of questions and topics I address in this culminating piece.

       Works Cited

Sherman, Paul W.  and Samuel M. Flaxman. “Protecting Ourselves from Food: Spices and morning sickness may shield us from toxins and microorganisms in the diet.” American Scientist, Vol. 89, No. 2 (2001): pp. 142-151. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27857437

“Spices: Pepping up production.” Spore, No. 141 (2009): pp. 8-10. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24343555

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A Food For all People: The Story of DC Sausages and the People that Buy Them

Like the offering of sausages at a cookout, all good things must come to an end. This is the end, a wrap up of five blogs on the sausages of DC. Read them if you would like, ignore them if you don't; both are equally good options. This short little paper will sum them up, more or less, so it serves as a third option for those that would take it.

The sausages of DC were, in my opinion, a very fun thing to study. With that being said, I didn't do it very well but it is what it is. The story I originally set out to tell was on gentrification in DC. This story, however, has yet to be told through sausages by me in these blogs, nor I assume, through anyone else's. It should be told.

The stores I have visited seem to cater to the same sort of people. People that have a couple of extra bucks to toss around. To tell the story of gentrification I would have had to visit markets that I would not normally go to. In this respect, I failed. I didn't even try.

Gentrification is, of course, a widely acknowledged reality in DC. How could it not be? We have Union Market, The Wharf, and every new six-story luxury-condo complex as it's billboards. Though gentrification is not a black and white issue, the rise in demand for housing and it's consequent inflation of rent has hurt many who have called DC home for generations, especially the black community. To summarize Chef Kwame Onwuachi; Harlem had it's renaissance, DC never needed one (Onwuachi, Notes From a Young Black Chef).

Though some of the shops I visited were diverse in terms of age, gender, and race, I was never once a minority within the confines of its walls or the neighborhood that it was in. I explored the expensive DC and with that, saw only the expensive sausages.

I first traveled to Whole Foods. The majority of the foods, sausage included, are displayed in the lower, basement level of the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods. Coming down the escalators directly in front of the automatic glass entrance, and taking a left at the tangerines, I found myself in one end of the meat section. To my left, the butchers counter; to my right, a row of open-faced refrigerator units filled with various offerings of meat. On the concrete floor between them is an open-faced cooler, filled with ice, displaying even more meat. The whole ordeal is lit with stark white lighting which gives a cold but clean feel. A faint smell of fish perfumes the air (the butchers and fishmonger stations are side by side) but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Compared to the rest of the store, the space is relatively barren, almost clinical. With that being said, the 15’ by 25’ space is a practical, to the point kind of place.  

Sausages are found in the butcher's display, the central coolers, and the open-faced refrigerators. The butcher display has a large variety of “made right here” pork sausage in between the thick cut steaks and fresh-ish fish; Bratwurst, German, Andouille, Habanero Green Chili, Sweet Italian, Mild Italian (with and w/o casing), Maple Breakfast, Country Breakfast, Bulk breakfast-sage (w/o casing), and Spicy Italian (with and w/o casing). They also have; Chicken Bratwurst, Mild Italian Turkey, Hot Italian Turkey,  Sweet Italian Chicken, and Spicy Italian Chicken. All are displayed in an orderly manner; the links are aligned and the patties are pretty.

Next, I went to Trader Joe's. The sausage section at Trader Joe’s sucks. First of all, it’s mostly chicken sausage, which any lover of sausages knows to be inferior to their pork filled peers. It is also right next to the “fully cooked, uncured bacon.” Anthony Bourdain once said a cook doesn't deserve garlic unless they’re willing to peel it. With this rule in mind, I hope he would approve of my following statement: if you can't cook your own bacon, you don't deserve to eat it. Besides that, the section is quite small, but it seems to get the job done (again… only if you like chicken sausage).

After that disappointment, I shipped myself off to union market. They charged 12.99 for a pound of pork sausages. That about sums it up.

Finally, I made it to the holy land; Stachowski’s Market. The sausage selection was extensive. Some were found in the butcher's case, but a majority were found in a stand-up freezer off to the side, opposite of the cash register which sat in the middle of the floor. Much of the sausage behind the counter was priced at $10.99 per pound. To be fair, they looked worth it. Portuguese Linguica, Smoked Kielbasa, Hot Italian; these were all out to be bought.

The shop itself is little but filled with people, often in groups grabbing a little lunch to eat in or take out. Most were white, many I assume, live in Georgetown. There are two tables against the windows and a couple of shelves stocked with delicious, though unaffordable goodies. The magic happens behind the counter where the meat is cut and the sandwiches are prepared.

To my sincere surprise, I found myself going back to Whole Foods for my final observance. Whole Foods, as it turns out, does some pretty decent sausages at a pretty decent price. This did not change my opinion of the place though. I opened my first blog saying that the supermarket chain is a detriment to society. I stick by these words, and you should too.

References Cited:

Onwuachi, Kwame. Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2019.

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Pretty Chocolate/Happy Rainforests

Chocolate.

A sweet treat enjoyed in diverse ways across the globe. In the US it is a gift handed out on Halloween, a way to tell someone you love them, and an easy way to cheer up your friend after a breakup. In some ways, it feels like chocolate has always been there for me from childhood traditions to grown up bad days.

Unfortunately, chocolate isn’t immune to the negative aspects of globalization including environmental hazards and exploitative labor. In the age of globalization and knowledge overload, consumers have an ever increasing opportunity to make conscious consumption habits to combat human and environmental exploitation, or so they think.

In my liberal leaning college bubble of NW, DC, it feels like every decision my peers and I make is ultimately with a larger cause in mind—we eat less meat because it is better for the environment, we use metal straws so plastic waste is reduced, we even shop at woman owned coffee shops to combat economic inequality among genders. Because companies know people want to purchase products that seem to be better for the world, in order to make themselves feel like a conscious consumer (Johnston 2008), they purposefully market products to this target audience.

With this in mind I went to four sites in Northwest Washington, DC to see how chocolate is displayed. Although I might casually notice differences in chocolate bar packaging on my own, this detailed research is prompted by a class-assigned optical research project during which I made detailed observations and took photos.

After visiting each site once with the exception of Whole Foods where I went twice, I focused my analysis on chocolate packaging and its relationship to color and fair-trade or organic labels.

For the purposes of this research, chocolate is referring to chocolate in the form of bars or small packages intended for consumption as is—without baking, melting, dipping or other means of changing it. Chocolate is distinct from the umbrella term candy because it is made from the cocoa plant rather than being any random sugar product. Therefore, my research does not include other forms of chocolate like baking chips or hot chocolate because they serve a much different purpose than an individual chocolate does.

Chocolate is located in convenient, central areas in all of the sites I visited. It is often located near registers, making it easy for consumers to quickly be convinced to buy it. Each site had large amounts of chocolate, allowing for a diverse array of product available to consumers. Each chocolate, with different packaging, pricing, and flavor is before the consumer on a linear display, waiting to be selected. I did not witness anyone standing in the chocolate area at any of my sites for longer than a brief moment. Because there is such a great variety in the busy spaces near the registers at these sites, it appears the store is trying to cater to all kinds of chocolate buyers. If this is a transient space, people are likely not taking their time and looking at the variety—instead they might see a package or flavor they recognize and quickly grab it.

Which leads me to my next point, packaging is everything for a product that’s purchased impulsively.

As someone who studies the impact that colors and shapes have on viewers of the arts, analyzing the packaging that wraps chocolate bars for their travel from the manufacturing facility to a consumer’s hand. In the chocolate aisle, color is everywhere.

The color palettes in Whole Foods were earth tone across the board compared to the color palettes of chocolate in less natural stores. These earth tones often correlated with fair-trade and organic chocolate brands because the colors brown and green together invoke natural, earth-like imagery. These bars often had matte paper packaging which also contributes to a natural feeling that is less refined than shiny packaging. A good amount of chocolate at Whole Foods has a pattern with multiple colors that draw consumers eyes through out the display.

In CVS and Safeway, two everyday large name stores, the chocolate packaging was generally of a saturated monotone color such as orange, black, white, red, blue, or purple. I found that the chocolate that isn’t trying to be natural or good for the environment, and is simply upholding tradition like a Reese’s bar, follows traditional packaging colors. These chocolates likely stick to the colors they’re familiar with in order to easily direct consumers to them. In an array of so many options all you have to do is look for the orange packaging and you have your peanut butter cups. These chocolate bars come in shiny, plain packaging. They do not have much of a pattern or play with color palettes. Instead they sometimes have images of the main ingredient, or some other special embellishment.

Trader Joe’s is the one outlier of chocolate packaging because its chocolates combine styles typical of both fair-trade organic packaging and classic packaging. The most expensive chocolate in Trader Joe’s was visibly Swiss, and had bright monochrome packaging with simple bold lettering. These bars quickly caught my attention and held it as someone who appreciates a modest design. Beyond these bars, most of the Trader Joe’s chocolate labels were brown, black and deep purple or blue with very few embellishments on the packaging. For a store which has such beautiful themed packaging for other products, it was surprising to see that chocolate packaging was relatively simple. This could be because the product doesn’t require loud packaging in order to be bought—rather people are comfortable buying chocolate without embellishment here.

The last important comparison across all sites is the attention to fair trade and organic labels. Of all my sites, Whole Foods by far had the most options for consumers to feel good about their chocolate purchase.

Whole Foods aggressively plays in to the feel-good marketing game by not only displaying products which say fair trade, rainforest safe, and organic on them, but they also place their own tag below the product to make sure the “goodness” of the product is clear.

This tangibility for consumers, having the opportunity to visibly see the good they are doing  for the rainforest and factory workers gives them the “warm glow” (Iweala, Meyerding, & Spiller, 2019) of feeling like they contributed to something bigger than themselves through the purchase of a chocolate bar. Further, consumers are willing to pay more for chocolate that is clearly labeled fair trade (Vlaeminck, Vandoren, & Vranken, 2016). In adding to Johnston’s argument about consumers voting for social and environmental change with their dollar, it is clear that chocolate provides a cheap way to do so at Whole Foods (2008).

Despite the potential “warm glow” (Iweala, Meyerding, & Spiller, 2019) achieved through fair trade purchases, the evidence that a consumer’s extra couple bucks for the sustainable purchase is slim. Scattergood’s brief article identifies potential for fair trade chocolate to be a complete illusion meant to take in more consumer revenue (2012).

The three other sites offered fewer fair trade or organic options. Safeway had a separate section of fair trade and organic next to the “non-warm glow” (Iweala et al., 2019) chocolate. This suggests the store has a variety of people shopping and wants to have an option for both concerned consumers and people who just want a Reese’s. Trader Joe’s did have one fair trade option but it blended in with the other chocolate—making it seem like fair trade wasn’t so relevant to Trader Joe’s shoppers. CVS did not have any fair trade chocolate.

Overall, my field work shows that stores in Northwest, DC provide a variety of chocolate catering to the diversity of consumers in the area. It makes sense that Whole Foods has a large amount of fair trade chocolate because this is the kind of consumer they attract. On the other hand, it makes sense that a store like CVS would not carry a selection of fair trade chocolates since they are not catering to this kind of consumer.

Chocolate remains one of my favorite products to buy with its bright, beautiful colors and inviting flavors. After all of this, as someone who likes buying actually sustainable goods, not relying on products Whole Foods tells me are good, I recommend to keep things local and buy some chocolate made close to home.

Support independent businesses and steer clear of the “fair trade” trap at locations like Whole Foods.

Johnston, J. (2008). The citizen-consumer hybrid: ideological tensions and the case of Whole Foods Market. Theory & Society, 37, 229–270.

Poelmans, E., & Rousseau, S. (2016). How do chocolate lovers balance taste and ethical considerations? British Food Journal 118(2), 343-361.

Scattergood, G. (2012). Shoppers ‘conned’ by fair trade chocolate labels. Food Manufacture. https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2012/09/04/Fair-trade-chocolate-cons-consumers-into-feeling-better.

Vlaeminck, P., Vandoren, J., & Vranken, L. (2016). Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Fair Trade Chocolate. In M.P. Squicciarini & J. Swinnen (Eds.), The Economics of Chocolate. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[allaboutfoodgwu]

The Whey to Become a Hero

As fate would have it, I returned to Whole Foods on a protein-oriented mission once more. Quick refresher, the Whole Foods I visited is the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods on the campus of George Washington University, known for its many registers and lack of cashiers.

At around 8:00pm on a Tuesday night, honestly, the place is poppin’. People move around quickly, maybe trying to grab stuff for dinner or breakfast tomorrow morning. The produce department is so picked over, there are entire shelves exposed with only the rejects-- the veggies and fruits most wilted and small-- are left behind. 

Actually, good thing it was! The sparse banana, um... wall?... attracted my eye to a large protein display! Which led to another great discovery of another protein display which led to ANOTHER discovery of a wall of hanging bagged protein powders, specifically labeled “smoothie mix”. The prices were no different from the ones on the wall; however, it is clear they are trying to upsell the protein mixes as smoothie additives since they are by teh fruits and leafy greens.

Once more in the back of the store, by the supplements, vitamins and beauty section, the protein powder still occupies an entire wall. It appears they have gotten in a few new products in. There are large bags of protein, instead of just tubs. There is a clearer distinction between the powders mroe oriented for nutrition, than those which appear to be marketed more towards people seeking a sports nutrition. 

The sports/workout-oriented powders closer mimic labels to the more conventional protein powders with black tubs and less natural blues and greens. The natural and plant-based protein powders all have plants, leaves and other ‘natural’ motifs (which I see on labels of most natural brands). 

One new addition I did find particularly interesting was the protein powder marketed for “kidz”. Unlike the others, it had fun little cartoons of people with sunglasses. The flavor was”extreme chocolate,” wit instructions on the front saying “One scoop. Superhero.” I dunno what all the other labels are doing wrong, but this one really sold me... Until I turned it over and saw that sugar was the second ingredient. If you have a picky eater, I can understand reaching for a protein supplement that also boasts probiotics and greens, though. 

In comparison (kidz nutrition label compared to adults in upper photo), a peanut-butter flavored protein powder for adults was sweetened with stevia. This makes me wonder if there’s a nutritional difference that we should be concerned about? But also, maybe drinking protein which has been abstracted should also raise some concerns? 

Standing by the powders, I did see one younger woman buy a bag of chocolate protein powder smoothie mix from the wall. An older, maybe middle-aged man was standing in front of the powder for a long time but he eventually left, no protein in hand. I did not not witness anyone purchase protein powder from the produce area.

Alright friends, this is where I leave you. DO with the knowledge of protein powders in DC, what you will. I have trust and faith in the growing community surrounding grams and gains. It is up to you to do the heavy lifting from here, on your own. 

[allaboutfoodgwu]

One last time: the Jams at Walgreens by Mister M.

For my 5th and final blog post, I decided to visit the elite West End area in DC once again. This time I picked the Walgreens store in the corner of 22nd and M street NW mainly because I have heard plenty of positive feedback regarding its layout and cleanliness.

Historically, founded in the early 20th century as a drugstore, Walgreens today is a provider of trusted care in many communities around the United States. Through constant innovation, Walgreens has a history of breaking new ground to meet its customers’ needs and improve their health, from offering self-service stores, to distributing pharmaceuticals, groceries, cosmetics, and other household supplies. As of 2019, the company operates more than ten thousand stores in all 50 states across the US, and the US territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

I visited the Walgreens store in West End on a Thursday afternoon at around 5:30pm. As soon as I entered the store I realized the store is bright, clean, and well-organized; upbeat music was playing and there were plenty of people shopping around. Empty shelves are few and far between, and all prices were are labeled. Since Walgreens is a drugstore, I instantly made some comparisons to my previous jam-shopping at CVS.

The Walgreens store felt more spacious compared to CVS, though they are roughly the same size. Everything is more spread out, and instead of gray and red, signage is in light blue and white, which made it feel cheery. The grocery selection is nearly identical to CVS, but at Walgreens, it is a lot less cluttered and more accessible to see each product.

It took me approximately 10 minutes, from entering the store to finding exactly what I came here for, jams! I started my journey from aisle 1 and found the jams located in a tiny little shelf in aisle 3. To my surprise, the jam section was half empty. As in many other stores, jams at Walgreens are located next to peanut butter jars, caramel syrups, and some other instant/sugary products. Jams at Walgreens are not organic or GMO-free and are only made from grapes and strawberries with the layout being very similar to the CVS store I visited last week.

Clearly, at Walgreens, there is a lack of varieties of jams compared to the more exotic types of jams people can buy at Whole Foods or Dean & DeLuca. The only two brands of jams available were Welch’s and NICE!. Both were in bulky, plain, see-through plastic jars with straightforward labels on them.

Furthermore, prices are below average ranging from only $1.99-$3.49 pre-tax. After researching the costs, tags, and labels, I stood in aisle two and was patiently waiting to see who would stop and buy the remaining four jars of jam. Surprisingly, 3 people stood by and picked the remaining four jars; two older white women and one African American middle-aged man.

Taking everything into consideration, I really enjoyed my trip to Walgreens and every other trip in the DC area that helped me to write this blog. For now, just remember that “Happiness is marmalade on toast.” See you all next week with my final report “Sweetness and Power in a Jar of Jam?”

[allaboutfoodgwu]

Whey Underwhelming

It was a windy Sunday afternoon, I’m sure everyone was being blown away by the cherry blossom blooms, but not I. I was at GNC at 1754 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20006, being floored by the amount of protein this place had in it. Like, we’re talking 1,000’s of grams. Floor to ceiling shelves with giant tubs of powders, vitamins, supplements, pre-workouts, post-workouts, during workouts (that might just be water)…

Walking in, it was pretty clear this place does not see a lot of action. Nestled between office buildings, this GNC has a ‘convenience store’ vibe without products that really scream ‘convenience.’ They still had a poster in the front window boasting ‘Holiday Specials’ with a red background and snowflakes. There were no other customers at the time of my visit, though I imagine their clientele are people walking to the metro from work.

The floor at the entrance is a tiled linoleum, which changes to a black linoleum as you walk to the back. Florescent lighting illuminates all the products which are on basic, unimpressive shelves. The ambience sort of felt like when rental video places were going out of business and you would walk into one of those somber, empty places and all the covers of films would look at you as if they longed to go home and escape.

The store has multiple brands but the most heavily featured is (big surprise) the GNC brand. Shelves seem sectioned off based on the amount of protein per serving and amount of activity like athletes, lifting, professional lifting, etc. The “pro” powder has 50g of protein per serving and recommends 4 “heaping” scoops a day at 1340 calories… yikes. 

It isn’t as expensive as I had expected at $34.99. It has an insanely long list of ingredients, all of which are unpronounceable. A protein called “wheybolic ripped,” is $64.99 but seems to have a more specific purpose. Across the store, the more specialized the product, the more expensive it is.

There is a small ‘natural’ section to the right as you walk in. Familiar labels reside there, like Vega, Organic Protein and Garden of Life. The sizes of all the tubs feel dramatically smaller in comparison to 5 or 6 lb tubs of the others. Vega is the most expensive at $54.99, on the top shelf. As you look down, the prices slowly drop to GNC’s soy protein powder at $19.99.

Overall, their slogan “live well” seemed to be an understated goal for what most of their products were boasting. The catchy phrase does work to appeal to a broader public, but I don’t think the majority of us feel like drinking 50 grams of protein in a shake. This place is not for the average, indecisive window shopper.

Next week, I will return to Whole Foods with wiser eyes. Tune in for a new take!

[allaboutfoodgwu]

C H O C O L A T E #04

I visited DC’s “Social Safeway” on Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown. Apparently I was looking extra intimidating that day because I didn’t experience much social activity. 

I went looking for more pretty colored chocolate bars to try, or perhaps to find some old favorites. The store was moderately busy but my aisle was empty. 

The chocolate is located in the same aisle as other snack type of food like crackers, Goldfish, fruit roll-ups, etc. 

I found a large variety of chocolate bars here, ranging from old favorites to fancier organic Whole Foods type brands. To be clear, I am interested in chocolate bars meant for consumption as is. Chocolate bars are therefore distinct from candy, as well as distinct from baking chocolates (read my first post). 

Immediately to my left (left image 1) upon turning into the aisle from the front of the store there were bulk bags of generic chocolate like m&m’s and Reese’s. Beyond these were rows of Ghirardelli chocolates in a variety of flavors. These more common kinds of chocolate range from about $1.79 a bar to around $4.00 a bar (right image 1). The packages are generally neutral colors with a pop of bright color on shiny paper. The Ghirardelli brand has images of the chocolate and flavor on the cover of the box.

A unique aspect of this aisle is that the chocolate bars just discussed are separated from the organic, fair-trade bars. There is a section of sour candy, dried berries and protein bars dividing the “common” chocolate from the organic section. This display clearly illustrates a difference between the two types of chocolate bar.

One row at the top of this natural section is on sale, it is almost completely sold out. Below this row there are Newman’s Own brand peanut butter cups and Justin’s peanut butter cups. There is some round Mexican chocolate which is different than any other chocolate here (image 3).

I also found several rows of organic and fair trade bars below the peanut butter cups. The variety is made up of mainly brown, tan and other earthy colored matte packaging. One chocolate bar even has what looks like an otter’s face (image 4). These crunchy chocolate brands are displayed with bright yellow and green tags calling attention to their organic or fair-trade label. It is clear that this chocolate is marketed towards a distinct demographic of environment and labor conscious consumers than the more common chocolates are.

With so many options to choose from, I stuck to a classic and went home with some of my favorite peanut butter cups. 

[allaboutfoodgwu]

Safeway Spices

This week, I decided to go to a grocery store I’d never been to before. As I was walking around Georgetown one Saturday afternoon, I came across Safeway. Located on 1855 Wisconsin Avenue NW, and known as the “social Safeway,” I was excited to shop, but also to socialize… I guess?

Finding the spices proved to be a more difficult task than expected. After ten minutes of unsuccessful searching, I finally found the spice section. It was hidden at the back of the store, nestled between the snack/chip/candy aisle and the cereal/coffee/juice aisle. The spices themselves were next to the cups/plates section and cooking oil section, which isn’t very intuitive, and probably why it took so long for me to find!

Aside from the amount of time it took me to find the spices, I was impressed with the selection (top two photos). It’s almost as big as the spices section in Whole Foods, which surprised me. They divided the spices area into two sections, which are organized by brand. The far-left ‘red’ section contains spices from McCormick and Signature Kitchens, and the one to the right contains Organic brands, such as Simply Organic, Morton & Bassett, and more McCormick.

Both sections of the spice aisle had a lot of variety in both the organic and non-organic category. This included both common spices such as cumin, onion powder, coriander, cilantro, pepper, chili flakes, and non-common spices such as Chinese five spice, Cajun, marjoram leaves, and poppy seeds.

What I found the most interesting, however, was a small set of spices organized by function or purpose (photo above). Under the ‘seasoning blends’ section were BBQ spices and rubs; under the ‘grilling’ section were herbs and poultry seasonings, and under the ‘garlic and onion’ were onion and pepper, Cajun, and vegetable seasonings. Giving customers options and ideas of how to use certain spice blends when cooking at home is a good strategy to increase product sales.

One last thing I noticed around Safeway and not just in the spices section was the sheer number of yellow “Club Price!” sale stickers they have at every aisle, corner, and row. While it’s nice to know how much money you’re saving with a Safeway card, it can be distracting when shopping, especially for smaller items like spices where the sale sticker sometimes blocks the price tag.

This trip to Safeway was definitely worth it in terms of spice selection, and if you’re looking for spice variety around D.C. and aren’t near a Whole Foods, Safeway will not disappoint you!

[allaboutfoodgwu]

What does CVS stand for anywhey?

Walking into CVS isn’t the most romantic experience, but that’s okay— it’s a convenience store. It’s just there to get you what you need, not dazzle you with foo-foo displays. The floor is covered in blue carpet as if to say, “if you spill something, we don’t want to clean up after you so the floor will just absorb it.”

It’s a Sunday afternoon at CVS on Pennsylvania Avenue on the campus of George Washington University, and the place is fairly quiet. Something I immediately notice about the other customers is how no one (including me) was carrying a basket or pushing a cart. This CVS doesn’t even have carts. This suggests customers only buy a couple items at a time, and most likely do not spend a long time shopping. I would imagine their customer demographic is professionals/students who are just getting the necessities. 

 It’s two floors, but small. Everything feels close, and is clearly marked with signs. The shelves are metal, coated in some sort of off-white enamel. The price tags are blatant, bearing bright colors and large, clear prices. The florescent lighting enhances the signature primary color red, as well as the loud yellow sales tags, contributing to a sort of color claustrophobia. CVS is designed to get customers the few random grab-and-go things they need, not invite them in to stay.

Searching for protein powder on the first floor, then making my way up to the stairs to the second, I began to question if they had protein powder. Finally, way in the back on the second floor, I found it. Of course they have it, what’s more convenient than a “meal” you just add water to?!

The selection was fairly small and crammed on the last three bottom shelves. They had about a 50/50 selection of vegan to regular powders. The prices ranged from $20.79 to $38.99. Each promised about the same amount of protein per serving. The labels on the vegan powders had the ‘natural’ look— leaves, green, vanilla flowers and beans. They were generally more expensive and were located next to a variety of diet teas and weight-loss protein shakes.

The not vegan powders were literally located behind a pillar (bottom left). The labels were definitely appealing to someone looking to take protein powder as a sports supplement (instead of nutrition) with brands like “Body Fortress” and “C4 Sport.” The labels were typically black and some other neon color.

It seems as though protein powder may not be the hottest commodity at Convenience, Value and Service… but at least I walked out with 300 cotton balls.

[allaboutfoodgwu]

Putting the Whey in Safeway

Inspired by my new-found love for ethnographic analysis of protein powders, I decided to hit up another grocery store. This time, my victim was Safeway in Georgetown. Yup, Georgetown. Surprised they even have such a low-class establishment as Safeway. This Safeway also takes GWorld so clearly their loyalties are not geographically tied.

Walking in, the environment feels cold and sterile. The walls are white and the downstairs entrance is crowded with large, spacious carts. I am immediately aware of register beeping, freezer machines werring and the smell of cookies as the escalator rises.

It’s about 3 in the afternoon on a Sunday and the place is pretty hoppin’. The customers appear to be a mix of families, college aged and young professional types as well as some regular professional types.

Meandering around the store, it takes me some time to find where the protein powder is located (I’m also easily distracted by the general assault of colorful labels, enhanced only in a way florescent lighting is capable). I finally find it, placed beneath an ambiguously labeled “organic” aisle, across from the equally ambiguously labeled “natural foods”.

The floors are a nice, ash grey linoleum wood. The shelves are packed, but only the top one has protein powder. The brand, tera’swhey, has really seemed to monopolize safeway’s selection with a small variety of flavors (vanilla, chocolate and plain). All advertise “grass fed” (which saddened me, made me think of dehydrated cows) with simplistic green labels. They had a couple other brands with vegetarian options featuring hemp and pea derived protein. Those only had one option for each and had more neon labels in blue and green.

The cheapest option was a brand called “Designer Whey,” which for $16.99 you could get 12 oz of protein powder and 11 servings or 2 lbs for $36.99.  In comparison, Tera’s was $20.49 for 12 oz. and 12 2servings. The pea protein by Naturade was $16.99 for 12 servings and actually featured the serving amount on the front, which the other’s did not.

The lack of variety and shelf space dedicated to protein powders in Safeway suggests their customer base is maybe more focused on sustainable meals, not supplements for a quick meal replacement or protein surplus. Something I find odd about the protein powders being shoved in with the gummy vitamins and organic soaps, is that it’s actually a similar placement to the protein powders in Whole Foods, but Whole Foods is like… entirely a ‘natural foods’ aisle.

The size of the carts and wide isles suggests the store is made for people doing large quantity shopping trips— families. When I was younger, my mom stopped being a vegetarian because it was easier, and cheaper in some ways, for all of us to just eat meat. Safeway itself is next to Georgetown neighborhoods and has a real parking lot. All this, plus the lack of protein powder variety, is evidence that this Safeway could be marketing a more family friendly environment.

Can’t wait to see what the next site has in store… Okay, now I might be trying too hard.

[allaboutfoodgwu]

I-Screamed at this Ice Cream Selection!

           I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Well, at least not at Trader Joe’s. On a gloomy Sunday afternoon I walked from the gray outdoors into the sunny and bright grocery store situated in one of the most high class neighborhoods in D.C.: West End. Around the corner there is a Soul Cycle studio, a squash room, and luxurious hotels like the Westin and Ritz-Carlton. When I think about Trader Joe’s, I think about their branding and advertising. Everything looks like it is handwritten, and they even have little sketches on some of their products! It is alive with color and makes grocery shopping a fun experience!

           I visited Trader Joe’s at around 5pm, and the store was buzzing with people picking up food around dinnertime. The people were mostly young and there was a good mix of men and women shopping. TJ’s seems like a grocery store more geared for the average person: prices are affordable because they buy directly from suppliers and sell their own brands to cut costs. However, if you are an ice cream lover, you need to keep looking for a place to pick up your favorite dessert!

           The only word that comes to mind when I think about the ice cream selection is weak. Located next to yummy frozen treats and below peanut butter, the ice cream section had only six different options to choose from. Yes, they covered the basics like vanilla and chocolate, but say you wanted some cookies and cream or rocky road: you are out of luck! I was very surprised at how little effort seemed to be put into this selection and was discouraged as an ice cream lover.

           Trader Joe’s is known for its bright branding. However, this was not what I found in the desserts aisle and it was for that reason that I barely stumbled upon the ice cream section: nothing really caught my eye. This might also be due to the fact that the section itself is not labeled, so I had to search through the frozen food aisles for my ice cream. It makes me think that if I wasn’t searching ice cream out, I wouldn’t find any in the first place. I did enjoy the pictures that some containers displayed on the front showing gooey and melted ice cream. However, I felt like TJ’s could have done more to brighten up their marketing of ice cream.

           Although I am not the biggest fan of sorbet, I did think about how there was only one option in this category for Trader Joe’s shoppers. What if your sole purpose in visiting the grocery store was to pick up sorbet and this was all they had for you? What would you do? The same went for gelato. What if you want chocolate instead of pistachio? Would you have to go to Whole Foods and pay an extra few bucks for it? That doesn’t seem right.

           Speaking of pricing, the ice cream quarts ranged from $4-$6, which is neither expensive nor cheap considering the size of the container and how expensive it could have been if not for TJ’s supply chain. However, there was only one tub above a quart size, so once again, the grocery store seems to be marketing their products for single people instead of families.

           I also need to mention Trader Joe’s use of the open drawer freezers. They make perusing the frozen food aisle so much more accessible, and for that reason everything is either at eye level or below. You would think this would make the ice cream section more popular, but once again nobody paid it any attention. Just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean ice cream should be ignored! Or at least, that’s how I feel.

           All in all, an experience shopping at Trader Joe’s is always an enjoyable one. Want a big selection of ice cream, however? Just keep walking.

- Marissa Kirshenbaum