GORDON RAMSAY, the celebrity chef, has launched a stinging attack on the organic food industry, accusing many products of being overpriced and overhyped.

The Scots star of Hell’s Kitchen and The F Word accused many consumers of buying organic products unquestioningly and of being more concerned with the label than with quality.

He also said that many overseas organic products bought in the UK were harmful to the environment because of the carbon dioxide produced by transporting them.

Addressing a food conference organised by Channel 4, he said: “The problem with organic food is that it has become hip and trendy, overhyped, overpriced and inconsistent. Unfortunately there is now a snob factor attached to it.

“There is a huge amount of inconsistency, especially with meat, fish and vegetables.”

The Michelin star-winning chef said he wanted to highlight the pitfalls that open up when something becomes as trendy as the organic movement.

“He is concerned about people jumping on the bandwagon and buying inferior and unseasonal products simply because they are labelled organic,” said a spokeswoman.

“Before buying organic Gordon feels that people should take a step back and ask important questions such as, how far has the produce travelled before hitting the supermarket shelves? Is it in season? Is it fresh? Is the quality of the produce good?” She stressed that Ramsay was supportive of high-quality locally sourced organic ingredients and used them in many of his restaurants.

The Soil Association, which champions organic food, said: “More and more people are buying organic food because they believe it tastes better.

“On average organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium as well as anti-oxidants.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/newspapers/sunday_times/ireland/article625714.ece