A trip to the bio store

Bio products are big here in Germany, and probably more so in Freiburg, the 'eco-city' of Germany. Bio is the rough equivalent of organic products. I don't really know why it is called bio. Is it because it is 'biologically' grown? But then again, aren't they all? Are there biological organisms left to grow in the products that make them healthier? Guten Apetit!

I went to Alnatura, a supermarket specializing in bio-products: bio-meat, bio-juice, bio-soap, bio-everything. As I stepped inside, I looked around and wondered if I am in the midst of the healthiest residents of Freiburg. These are people who pay the premium for 'healthy' food and products untouched by agriculture fertilizers and industrial chemicals. Breathing the air inside the grocery store gave me the twisted notion that I am breathing bio-air.

I surveyed the fruits and vegetables section and looked for some bio-vermins squirming around that may still be enjoying their natural niche. Worms and insects should be indicators of absence of pesticides, aren't they? I'm thankful I didn't see any. The potatoes looked a bit different from the bio-potatoes with pale skin I see in the discount supermarkets. They were darker with a rugged form, just like how they are in the Philippines. From the crate of carrots, I selected the the cleanest, smoothest, and 'straightest' (i.e., least bio-looking) piece. It is advertised as coming from the region (of Breisgau?).

Limited by my purchasing power, I walked out the store only with a carrot, a tetrapack of green tea, and a brick of tofu. With my bio-purchase, I suppose it is enough to sustain me for the coming week.