Consumers are more conscious of what they eat than ever before and the growth of health food outlets has matched this burgeoning interest, writes Susan Calnan
The opening of two new health food outlets in Dublin's city centre is a testament to the growing popularity of health food in Ireland. Elsewhere in the State, a growth in the sector is also evident with the opening of new outlets in Athlone, Roscrea and Galway in recent months bringing the toral number of health food stores in Ireland to approximately 120.
Spokesperson for the Irish Association of Health Stores (IAHS) and owner of The Hopsack health food store in Rathmines, Erica Murray, says that consumers are increasingly "voting with their feet" and using these stores more frequently, not only as a source of good quality, organic food but also to get advice on health, diet and on complementary therapies.
"Over the last 10 years especially, a growing number of people in Ireland have been searching for an alternative approach to health in general and, in particular, to orthodox medicine," says Murray.
"This is partly due to the negative publicity with regard to the over-prescription of antibiotics and an increasing awareness that taking prescribed medication can have side-effects," she says
Although most health stores today stock a broad range of products from organic and specialised food products to food supplements and personal care products, Murray says the original ethos behind the first health food shops in Ireland came from a passionate belief in the benefits of quality wholefoods.
For most people in the industry, she adds, the idea to set up a health food shop originated from some personal interest in the area. Originally a social worker, Murray suffered for years from eczema and eventually turned to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to find a cure. She also shared with her husband, Jimmy, an appreciation for natural and healthy foods and a belief in the maxim that "you are what you eat". They opened their first store 25 years ago and started off by selling mainly wholegrains and fresh fruit and vegetables.
As the health food industry started to flourish in the 1980s and with the increasing number of shops opening in Ireland, Murray and a number of other health food shop proprietors decided to set up their own representative body, the IAHS.
"We wanted to raise the profile of health food shops in Ireland but more importantly, to increase the level of professionalism within the industry."
Eighteen years on and with more than 90 members in the organisation, today the IAHS adheres to a strict code of ethics, designed to ensure the quality and safety of goods sold and, above all, to protect the interests and well-being of the customer. For example, it is a requirement that all member stores have at least one member of staff who is qualified in the Diploma in Health Food Retailing and all staff are expected to have an interest in CAM, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the products they sell.
The evolution of health food shops from retailers of natural, unprocessed foods in the 1970s to a sort of one-stop-shop for natural health remedies and specialised food products today has put an even greater onus on proprietors to ensure that staff administer safe and accurate advice to customers.
Irish manager of Bioforce - a leading supplier of over-the-counter herbal tinctures, developed by world-renowned herbalist Alfred Vogel in the 1960s - Gabrielle McAuley, says health food stores today have evolved into a type of community information centre, for people who want advice on everything from natural remedies to finding out where the nearest bottle-bank is, to getting details about complementary health practitioners in their area.
"Over the years, health food stores have had a huge role to play in Irish society in terms of promoting preventative health and in helping to keep people off the hospital waiting lists," insists McAuley.
"A lot of innovation in natural healthcare, which has now become increasingly mainstream, started off in health food stores. For example, health food shops were the first to start selling vitamin and mineral supplements and herbal products, even though these products have now become popular in many supermarkets and pharmacies today."
Despite the growth in popularity of health food shops and the increasing use of food supplements and herbals, it's not all good news in the industry, however. The EU Food Supplements Directive (FSD), which will severely restrict the range of vitamin and mineral supplements eligible for sale in outlets, is due to come into effect from August 1st, 2005 and the IAHS estimates it will result in the removal of up to 85 per cent of the supplements currently on the market.
Acting director of the food science and standards division of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), Dr Wayne Anderson, argues that although it will restrict the number of products for sale in health food shops, the legislation is justified on health and consumer safety grounds. He adds that increased regulation of the industry is a simply a sign that health food stores are coming more into the mainstream retail area and that in the future, health store owners will find themselves more involved with issues such as the traceability and recall of food products.
Although he is not against the idea of regulation, president of the IAHS, Brod Kearon says that the directive is totally disproportionate to any public interest benefit conferred by the latest restrictions.
"All food supplements should adhere to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and to the current recommended upper safe levels of nutrients," says Keron.
"However, the restrictions imposed by this latest directive is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut; as a result of this legislation, hundreds of products will end up being excluded from shops and for no good reason."
Owner of Nourish, the latest health food store to open in Dublin's city centre, Derek Kelly, says that increased regulation of food supplements will probably result in a return to the original ethos behind health food stores - an emphasis on the sale of nourishing and unprocessed, healthy foods. With more than 20 years' experience in the health food business and already a proprietor of four other health food outlets in Dublin, Kelly adds that he is optimistic that health food shops in Ireland will continue to play an important role in preventative health.
"The role of the health food store has grown considerably over the last 20 years and there is a much greater level of acceptance and interest in the products we sell," he says.
"With increased regulation, there are bound to be more difficult times ahead for the health food industry and no doubt the latest directive will affect business. But if there's one thing that this industry is known for, that's its ingenuity and its ability to constantly come up with new ideas and quality products."