We Believe You Deserve to Know What's in Your Food
Most grocery stores don't tell you how they decide what goes on their shelves. At Prairie Food Co-op, we do. Our product guidelines aren't a marketing slogan — they're a binding commitment to every person who shops here. We've drawn a clear line around what we will and won't carry, and we think you'll appreciate why.
How We Choose What We Carry
Not all "good food" claims are created equal. We source products using a deliberate priority order that favors local and organic above all else:
- Local Certified Organic — always our first choice
- Local products made with organic ingredients
- Local regenerative, non-GMO conventional
- Certified Organic (outside our local region)
- Other regenerative, non-GMO products
Local = within 200 miles of our store, including all of Illinois Regional = border states (WI, IA, MO, KY, IN, MI) up to 400 miles
This isn't just a philosophical framework — it's how we make purchasing decisions every single day.
What You Won't Find on Our Shelves
Walk through a conventional grocery store and you'll encounter hundreds of products containing ingredients we've chosen to exclude entirely. We do not carry products made with:
- Bleached or bromated flours
- Artificial colors or flavorings
- Artificial sweeteners
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils
- Artificial preservatives
- Irradiated ingredients
- Meat from CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)
- Health and beauty products tested on animals
That last one deserves context. Roughly 90% of meat and eggs sold in the U.S. comes from CAFOs (World of Vegan), and the environmental and public health consequences are significant. CAFOs produce 335 million tons of manure annually in the U.S., and when mismanaged, pollutants contaminate groundwater and surface water across the country. (World of Vegan) Animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions globally (UAEX), with factory farm methane and nitrous oxide among the most potent contributors.
We don't carry CAFO meat. Period.
What We Actively Seek Out
Exclusions only go so far. What we're really proud of is what we do carry. Prairie Food Co-op actively seeks out products that reflect our values:
- Cooperatively produced goods — supporting worker and producer-owned businesses
- Fair Trade Certified items — ensuring farmers and workers are paid fairly
- Wild-caught seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council
- Sustainable seafood with 'green' or 'yellow' Monterey Bay Aquarium ratings
- Ethically farm-raised seafood
- Pasture-raised meat and eggs
- Meats raised without GMO feed
- Proven label integrity and transparency
- Environmentally sustainable practices
- Positive social impact
- Minimal packaging and waste
- Uncompromising freshness, flavor, and quality
Standards That Set Us Apart
These guidelines place Prairie Food Co-op among a small group of grocers in the country willing to hold themselves publicly accountable to this level of sourcing integrity. We're not perfect — no grocery store is — but we are committed to continuous improvement and total transparency with our community.
When you shop at Prairie Food Co-op, you're not just buying groceries. You're voting for the kind of food system you want to live in.
Questions about a specific product or ingredient? Ask anyone on our team — we love talking about this stuff.