Safeway yesterday launched O Organics Supplements, a line of USDA-certified organic supplements. The 12-SKU line includes popular varieties such as Vitamin C, Calcium, and St. John's Wort. The grocer said it all Safeway stores already are stocking the line, and it will roll the offering out to additional retailers nationwide in 2009.

Sheetal Khanna, director of brand strategy for global brands at Safeway-owned Lucerne Foods Inc., said the company is continuing to develop new products for the burgeoning organics market.

"As one of the retail world's fastest growing product segments, the organic sector is rapidly outgrowing its niche status and becoming a mainstream staple with strong, across-the-board demand from the many shoppers who are looking for healthier, more environmentally friendly options," Khanna said.

The supplements line is the latest wrinkle in the evolution of the O Organics brand, which has grown from an initial launch of 30 products in 2005 to a multi-category brand with more than 300 organic products across the store.

The entire line consists of: Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Cranberry, Echinacea, Echinacea & Golden Seal, Garlic, Ginseng, St. John_s Wort, Ginkgo Biloba, Saw Palmetto, and Green Tea.

Safeway operates 1,740 stores in the United States and Canada and had annual sales of $42.3 billion in 2007.