Feature story - June 1, 2003
Find out what food producers are saying about GE ingredients.
What are food companies telling consumers?
Greenpeace compiled the True Food Shopping Guide from communication with food producers, including correspondence, phone calls and company statements passed on to us from consumers. Below, find a sampling from some companies with products found in the Guide.
Companies not using genetically engineered ingredients or those taking action to eliminate genetically engineered ingredients:
"Eden Foods has had a policy since 1993 requiring affidavits from all of its growers and suppliers guaranteeing that their food is free of genetically engineered organisms...We are fundamentally opposed to these foods for moral, ethical and practical reasons." - Eden Foods Statement, May 2000
"Turtle Island is categorically against the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)...(W)e are discontinuing the use of any product that has the remotest possibility of containing GMOs. This figures to be an expensive yet proper course of action...we have asked all suppliers for paperwork assuring that their products meet our standards and [we] have begun testing our products to assure the absence of GMOs." - Turtle Island Foods Policy, August 2000 Update
"In part because of concern about genetically modified corn and canola oil, Clif Bar products were reformulated this spring to eliminate any corn and canola oil. Clif Bar's director of R&D looks at the source of every ingredient to assure that no genetically modified organisms are used in any Clif Bar product." - Clif Bar, consumer letter, August 2000
"We continue to work with suppliers to research the source of all ingredients in all Kettle brand products. Our goal is to have documentation that all our products are GMO free." - Kettle Foods, letter to consumer, August 2000
"Spectrum Organic Products is committed to the right of consumers to know what is in the foods they eat...we have established a GMO testing process utilizing a third party lab." - Spectrum Organic Products brochure, August 2000
"We have had specific and repeated discussions with our suppliers on the GMO and non-GMO issue...Our suppliers have given us written statements that explicitly assure us that all commodities we purchase and use to manufacture Bob's Red Mill brand whole grain foods are non-GMO." - Statement of Policy, Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, December 1999
"Cascadian Farm is a grower, buyer, processor and marketer of organically grown foods. Genetically modified organisms are not compatible with the principles of organic agriculture and food production..." - Policy Statement, Cascadian Farm, November 1999
Companies using genetically engineered ingredients:
"Kellogg Company uses grain from a number of suppliers, so our supply would likely include biotechnology-produced grain... " - Kellogg, consumer letter, April 2000
"In countries where public opinion rejects ingredients derived from genetically modified crops, even though food legislation permits their use, Nestle respects the consumers' preference and will provide its customers, in as far as technically possible, with products that do not contain these ingredients. Nestle will continue to use ingredients derived from genetically modified crops where we have complete confidence in their safety and where they are generally accepted by consumers." - Nestle, consumer letter, March 2000
"Now that there is a renewed interest in biotechnology by regulatory agencies and some consumer concern exists, we did not feel it appropriate to ask our growers to include bt [GE] crops in what they sell to us...Since we are also a large buyer of agricultural commodities, just like any other food companies, we could have biotechnology ingredients in our products." - Frito-Lay, consumer letter, March 2000
"(I)t is probable that genetically modified soybean, corn, or other crops are used to produce the ingredients in some of our products." - Keebler Company, consumer letter, August 2000
"It is possible that our products may contain genetically modified food materials." - M & M Mars, consumer letter, August 2000
"In all likelihood some of our products do contain biotech ingredients from [genetically modified] crops." - Kraft Foods, consumer letter, October 1999
"There is a high probability that some of Quaker's products contain foods developed through biotechnology." - Quaker Oats Company, consumer letter, March 2000
"(I)t's certainly possible that some of our products may contain ingredients that have been improved through biotechnology." - General Mills, consumer letter, August 2000