Whole Foods New Private Label Standards

Whole Foods has recently agreed to submit its private labels to a new verification process for non-genetically modified organism (GMO) compliance. What does this mean? In simple terms, not all food marketed as "health food" is organic, such as vegetarian substitute products. According to federal law, if a food does meet organic standards, it must also comply with non-GMO USDA standards. If a food is not organic, these non-GMO standards do not apply. In a nutshell, the non-organic "health food" you are eating may be genetically modified.

Whole Foods intends to submit its private label food products to non-GMO verification tests and standards, even if those products don't meet organic standards. This should be very good news for those who prefer their food as natural as possible.

What testing will these new standards involve? The process will combine document-based review, on-site facility audits and DNA testing to measure compliance. Products with ingredients that have a high risk for genetic contamination must undergo this process in order to recieve the non-GMO seal. A good example of a crop with a very high risk of genetic contamination would be corn. Corn distributes its pollen through wind. If the wind is strong, its pollen is capable of travelling many miles from its point of origin. Hybridization is incredibly easy with corn as well. Both these factors make it especially difficult for organic corn farmers to ensure their own crops are free from genes that have been modified.

Around 75 percent of processed food in the U.S. is contains products from genetically modified crops, but some sources report that around 59 percent of Americans aren't even familiar with the issue of genetic modification and their potential effects on human and ecological health.

The efforts of Whole Foods to allow consumers to make informed choices about what products they deem worthy of consumption is laudible to say the least, and they should be considered a role model of corporate responsibility. The first Whole Foods was opened in Hawaii over a year ago at Kahala Mall.

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