DUBAI New Dubai residents can now pick up organic and gluten-free foods at a new market in their community malls.
Beginning this month, Biorganic, a local brand promoting natural and organic food, has been holding regular markets in four Emaar community malls - Town Center, Greens Village, Arabian Ranches and Gold and Diamond Park.
“Biorganic shares the same vision as Emaar, seeking the well-being of its residents and mall commuters and at the same time, committed to protect the environment and ensure the sustainability of their communities. Our market is quite different in the sense that we offer information and tips about a healthier lifestyle, be it cooking alternatives or healthy recipes which could result in people making wiser decisions when it comes to food intake,” said Joe Zaccour of Biorganic.
With interactive screens that allow residents to get information, educate themselves and send recipes directly to their emails, the bio-organic market sells everything from fruit and vegetables to meats and gluten-free bakery goods.
“We highly encourage local supply of fruits and vegetables. Whatever the UAE’s soil and nature provide, we source. For the rest, we just follow the seasons,” said Zaccour.
The market sells tropical fruits and vegetables from Africa and Europe besides green leaves from Lebanon.
As for the meats, Zaccour said the market sources fresh, halal, organic and grass fed beef and lamb from Australia. “We only handle fresh meat, be it beef, lamb or chicken. We do not import frozen cuts.”
The popular buys include freshly baked gluten free products from Biorganic’s bakery, the range covering a variety of breads, cakes and cookies. The market also runs a restaurant, Biorganic Café, at Tecom where its spelt salad, Salmon with tricolour quinoa and All Hale Kale juice are a big draw.
Cooking tips
Dismissing the myths surrounding organic foods, Zaccour said: “Opting for organic food is an effectual choice for personal and planetary health. Buying organically grown food — free of harmful chemicals, bursting with more nutrition, taste and sustainability — is a direct vote for immediate health and the hopeful future of generations to come.”
He said the Biorganic Market offers kids entertainment with face painting, colouring and other activities. “We make sure our market is lively and considered a destination for people to gather, enjoy their time, pick their organic needs and get new cooking tips and recipes,” he said.
He said education plays a key role in embracing organic foods. “Sharing knowledge and information about the benefits of organic lifestyle and showing people what they are exposed to with conventional offerings available today in the market is key. This brings us back to being responsible eaters. We should not only be responsible towards ourselves but also towards our family and our society.”
