Big Opportunities to Become Smaller, Healthier People in the U.K. and Beyond

Irwin Simon, the founder and CEO of Hain Celestial , discusses the international opportunities for organic foods with Motley Fool analyst Brendan Byrnes.

Irwin says he's spent a lot of time in the U.K. Retailers there have come to Hain and told the company that they are five years behind the U.S. in healthy foods. On the other hand, in the U.K., 50% of the foods sold are fresh. That's not the case here in America, Irwin says.

Still, obesity rates in the U.K. are the second highest in the world. Consumers there don't necessarily want organic foods, but they do want natural foods and foods that are unprocessed, Irwin says.

In the U.K., they are learning some of the same lessons about self-inflicted health problems as we've been learning here. As healthier foods find their way onto more supermarket shelves across Europe, Hain has a big opportunity, Irwin says.

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The article Big Opportunities to Become Smaller, Healthier People in the U.K. and Beyond originally appeared on Fool.com.

Brendan Byrnes has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Hain Celestial. The Motley Fool owns shares of Hain Celestial. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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