Health food store
A health food store is a retail company . The range of this specialty shop includes groceries, herbal dietary supplements, over-the-counter natural medicines as well as articles for body care and natural cosmetics. The products offered should meet the criteria of environmentally friendly and natural production; for example, they should not contain any synthetic preservatives and must not have been genetically modified.
Emergence
The emergence of the health food stores emerged from the so-called life reform in the middle of the 19th century , in particular from the pursuit of a natural way of life, ecological agriculture , vegetarianism , reform clothing , natural healing methods, etc. The life reformers were looking for alternatives to general conventional products, therefore included The health food stores' catalog of goods includes medicinal herbs , plant-based foods, meat substitutes, alcohol-free beverages, and natural clothing. This created an alternative product range that was available in health food stores. This is now widespread and a normal part of daily consumption, for example whole grain bread , vegetable margarine, non-alcoholic fruit juices, tonics , oils for body care, natural remedies or natural cosmetics .
development
The model for the health food stores was the “health center” opened in 1887 by the businessman Carl Braun in Berlin. In connection with the health food movement, vegetarian restaurants also emerged, especially in large cities. The first shop called Reformhaus was opened in 1900 by Karl August Heynen in Wuppertal -Barmen. His retail business was called "Reformhaus Jungbrunnen" and became the model for subsequent foundings. In 1909, 18 entrepreneurs founded the "Association of German Reform House Owners". The name “Reformhaus” prevailed, and in 1925 the existing health food stores merged to form the “Vereinigung deutscher Reformhaus” (Association of German Health Food Stores), but the reformist individuality remained. In 1927 the health food store owners founded a cooperative in Berlin , which since 1930 has been operating as the “neuform Vereinigung Deutscher Reformhäuser eG”. Membership is compulsory for every health food store owner, but he remains an independent entrepreneur . The word mark "Reformhaus" is a registered trademark of the cooperative and may only be used by registered members.
The product range has been adapted over the years to the ecological and economic requirements of the market, so shoes or clothing are hardly ever offered; Herbs and teas are only available pre-packaged and poppy seeds or grains are rarely ground. The trend is towards more regional foods being offered in many health food shops and more cooperation with wholefood bakeries. As a result, the differences to organic or natural food stores have become smaller. The uniform model with a focus on a vegetarian diet is still characteristic.
There are only health food stores in this form of business in Germany and Austria . In the Netherlands there are also reform houses (Reformhuis) that act according to the same principles and also have a similar range of products; however, they do not have to belong to a cooperative to use that name or to sell certain products.
The number of health food stores in Germany has decreased in the past 20 years from 2,800 to 1,200 stores (as of 09/2019), with only 900 of the remaining 1,200 health food stores being pure health food stores, while 300 stores are other forms of retail outlets , e.g. B. to pharmacies with range expansion to include health food products.
Products
Health food stores are specialty stores for food , dietary supplements , dietetic foods , body care , natural cosmetics and natural medicinal products. The focus of the offer is on wholefood nutrition . There are, however, also books, soda maker , water filter , grain mills and salt lamps offered. Depending on the size of the shop, the range includes between 2000 and 9000 products. Some health food stores also sell meat products from organic farming, preferably from the region.
In addition, food supplements can be found in health food stores that are not or only a limited selection in organic stores. Over-the-counter natural medicines are also offered. Another focus of the offer are special products for people with various food intolerances, allergies or gluten intolerance .
The first purely vegetable margarine , which is manufactured using a new emulsion process without chemical additives and auxiliaries, was produced in 1952 by the Vitaquell company in Eidelstedt and only sold in health food stores. The product range includes brands with an anthroposophical background such as Weleda , Wala and Demeter .
Since August 2018, more and more products have been launched under the health store brand .
Difference to the health food store
In contrast to health food stores, names such as organic or natural food stores are not protected by law. Based on the guidelines of the “Vereinigung Deutscher Reformhäuser eG”, the offer should include articles for healthy and nutritionally valuable nutrition and body care, the active ingredients of which come from natural sources. The neuform quality seal was developed for this. The products in the health food store traditionally come from biodynamic agriculture . In addition, so-called dietary supplements (vitamin tablets, omega3 fatty acid capsules, etc.) are found in health food stores, which are normally not sold in health food stores or at least are only available in a small selection, as well as numerous products that do not comply with the principles of wholefood nutrition . Since many from the life reform movement also reject the consumption of alcohol, corresponding products are usually not found in health food stores. In organic shops, on the other hand, alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine are usually offered.
Cooperative "neuform"
The neuform Vereinigung Deutscher Reformhäuser eG has been a cooperative of health food store owners since 1930 . Today, services such as marketing are also offered. However, the focus of the offer is on the so-called “neuform range of contract goods”; the range includes groceries, natural medicines, personal care products and cosmetics. These products supplied by contractual partners must meet neuform's quality criteria. Products with the neuform trademark are only available in health food stores, health food stores or partner health food stores. A health food depot is the combination of a pharmacy and a health food store. Partner health food stores are stores that combine z. B. with perfumeries and drugstores .
The quality control of all contract goods checks whether the raw materials used are of high quality, natural and low in residues. They should primarily come from organic farming. Further processing should be gentle and largely preserve its value. Animal products must come from animal welfare. Substances from dead animals are rejected with a few exceptions ( gelatine , mussel powder). Body and beauty care products must not have been tested on animals. When it comes to packaging, as little as possible is as much as necessary. Chemical-synthetic additives and hydrogenated fats in food, substances and raw materials from genetically modified plants and animals as well as radioactively irradiated food are strictly rejected.
Initial and continuing education
Health food specialist salesperson is a teaching profession. Due to the range of goods, detailed product knowledge and physiological knowledge are necessary for health food retailers. This knowledge is also important for advising customers. The basics are conveyed in vocational training and in training courses at the health food store specialist academy. The health food specialist academy offers various further training opportunities that can also be used by other professional groups. In order to be authorized to sell over-the-counter drugs, a course must be completed before the Chamber of Commerce and Industry , the certificate of competence.
See also
literature
- Florentine Fritzen: Live healthier. The life reform movement in the 20th century , Stuttgart: Steiner-Verlag 2006. ISBN 3-515-08790-7
Web links
- 100 years of health food store history. In: vegetarian of course. No. 6, 2000 ( Memento from February 13, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- reformhaus.de Page from neuform - Association of German Reform Houses eG
Individual evidence
- ↑ Judith Baumgartner: Vegetarianism: Eat better, be better. In: zeit.de. July 24, 2013, accessed December 8, 2014 .
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento from July 6, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Organic pioneers in the crisis: Number of health food stores has halved Report on SPIEGEL Online of September 11, 2019, accessed on September 12, 2019
- ↑ www.reformhaus-blunck.de ( Memento from October 31, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Start of the big release of the Reformhaus® product brand - ReformKontor presents freshly harvested dried fruits. In: openpr.de. November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018 .
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento from July 6, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Get out of the oasis . In: Der Spiegel . No. 10 , 1978 ( online ).
- ↑ Appointed to the Federal Employment Agency
- ^ Foundation of the Reformhaus-Fachakademie