MOM’s Organic Market is an organic market founded in 1987. The company only sells 100% organic produce along with other organic products. Here’s our review of the company.
What Is MOMs Organic Market?
MOM’s Organic Market is a chain of grocery stores located across eastern United States – mostly in the area around Washington, D.C. The first store launched in 1987. Today, there are stores in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Over the years, the company has stuck by some common principles. The company sells 100% organic produce, for example, and continuously emphasizes sustainability, environmental friendliness, and similar values.
According to most reviews we could find online, MOM’s Organic Market is like a cheaper version of Whole Foods.
MOM’s Organic Market Ingredient Standards
You shop at MOMs Organic Market because of their ingredient standards. The company maintains strict standards on the products it sells. It doesn’t sell foods with certain ingredients, for example, and all produce is 100% organic.
The company sells a higher volume of organic products than any other store in the United States. Here’s a full list of the ingredient standards followed by MOM’s Organic Market:
- 100% organic produce
- All foods and products contain either organic ingredients or non-GMO ingredients
- Foods do not contain any artificial colors, preservatives, or sweeteners
- No high fructose corn syrup or preservatives
- No hydrogenated oil
- No meat or dairy that has been treated with antibiotics or growth hormones
- No bleached or bromated flour
- No bulk-dried fruits with added sulfites
- No meats that contain nitrates or nitrites
- No cottonseed oil
- No imported or domestic non-sparkling waters
Prior to selling a new product in the store, the MOM’s Organic Market team carefully looks at the ingredients.
As the company’s official website explains, “If the product is not certified organic and contains a high-risk GMO ingredient, we ask the company to confirm it is not a GMO. If they cannot provide confirmation, we will not carry the product.”
You can view the company’s full list of banned ingredients at their official website here. That list includes well over 100 different ingredients that MOM’s Organic Market will never sell in its products, including everything from diacetyl (an artificial butter flavoring) to vanillin (an artificial flavoring agent).
Other Things to Know Before Shopping at MOM’s Organic Market
Shopping at MOM’s Organic Market is a unique experience that you won’t find anywhere else in the United States. It’s similar to Whole Foods, but on a higher level of strictness regarding products and ingredients. Here are some of the other things to know about MOM’s Organic Market’s products and ingredients before you shop:
- MOM’s makes its own organic coffee. That coffee is roasted in-house and is shade-grown at fair rage farms. Popular blends include the Boyfriend Blend and Dawn Patrol.
- MOM’s is also popular for its gluten-free section. You’ll find a selection of pasta, crackers, cereal, and baked goods that are made at dedicated gluten-free facilities. Many of these products are also free of common allergens like soy, dairy, and nuts.
- The grocer only sells 100% sustainable seafood. The company has its own set of seafood standards that were created in partnership with the Safina Center and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.
- MOM’s Organic Market does not sell some products that market to kids. Specifically, they “do not sell products that target children with licensed cartoon characters on the package’.
- You will never be able to buy a plastic bottle of water at MOM’s stores again. The company banned bottled water from its shelves in 2010 to reduce plastic waste in waterways.
- Some MOM’s Organic Market locations have a “naked lunch” counter where you can put together your own organic, vegetarian food.
- There’s even a lineup of MOM’s clothing. All clothing sold by the company is GOTS certified.
- In addition to food, MOM’s Organic Market sells everything from organic mattresses (Naturepedic mattresses) to greener household and cleaning products.
Contact MOMs Organic Market
One of the unique things about MOM’s Organic Market is that the founder makes it easy to get in touch. You can contact MOM’s Organic Market’s founder, Scott, by email at [email protected].
Alternatively, you can contact the company by email at [email protected].
MOM’s Organic Market Reviews: What Do Customers Have To Say?
MOM’s Organic Market locations appeal to a niche group of health-conscious consumers who want to be careful about the ingredients they’re putting into their bodies. Here are some of the pros and cons of MOM’s Organic Market that we gathered after looking at Yelp pages for several locations:
Pros
- An excellent “Whole Foods knock off with better options and cheaper options”, explains one reviewer
- Great soy products
- Excellent produce (all 100% organic)
- The locations with the MOM’s café are generally well-reviewed, with customers agreeing that they provide you with sizable portions with lots of veggies and good flavor at a reasonable price (about $9 for a veggie bowl)
- “Most of the big boxes like Giant and Safeway just fill their aisles with a bunch of garbage, and you thankfully don’t have to deal with that kind of stuff here”
- Clean and organized stores
- Excellent coffee
- You get a $0.10 credit for each reusable bag used at checkout
- Free samples, as well as free coffee, tea, and bread, that rotate daily
Cons
- Some people claim that the Naked Lunch food counter makes the whole store smell; said one customers, “They never stop cooking what seems to be pure garlic and onions and with apparently no proper exhaust fan the odor fills the store”. This customer writes that he has to shower and wash his clothes after visiting MOM’s.
- Not as cheap as ordinary grocery stores
Should You Shop At MOMs Organic Market?
MOM’s Organic Market is a series of supermarkets located in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington DC.
The supermarkets are basically a cheaper version of Whole Foods – although not all customers agree that it’s cheaper. The company emphasizes 100% organic produce and maintains an extensive list of banned ingredients.
Like Whole Foods, MOM’s Organic Market isn’t cheap. You won’t find the same brands you find at a Walmart. It’s for a niche group of consumers that cares about organic ingredients, whole foods, and better nutrition.
The supermarkets are generally well-reviewed online, with most customers appreciating the products sold by the company along with the company’s strict quality standards and commitment so sustainability.
