Market News

Capers Certified as First Organic Grocer

Capers Community Markets, a natural and organic foods retailer based in Vancouver, has become the first certified organic grocer in Western Canada. Capers has been certified by Quality Assurance International (QAI), an independent third-party certification organization in the US that recognizes compliance with strict national quality standards, as governed by the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) Standard. (Canada doesn’t currently have a national standard and certification system, but it is currently in the process of developing and implementing one.) A grocer must successfully pass a rigorous voluntary organic grocer certification process to receive this designation. Capers is the first company in Canada to do so. All of Capers’ three Greater Vancouver locations are now certified in produce, bulk grocery and pre-packaged goods. www.capersmarkets.com. Source: Canadian Grocer E-Newsletter, February 3, 2006.