Whole Foods says no to GMOs

Whole Foods Market has joined the Non-GMO Project, committing to the third-party system that verifies food does not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The store's private label brands, 365 Every Day Value and Whole Foods Market, will carry the "Non-GMO Project Verified" seal beginning this fall.

GMOs are plants whose DNA have been altered to create an organism that did not previously exist in nature. According to WholeFoodsMarket.com, the GMO crops currently approved and marketed in the United States do one of two things: make their own pesticides or resist herbicides, so that farmers can spray an entire field with a strong chemical herbicide and kill everything but the GMO crop. In 30 other countries, including all European Union nations, Australia and Japan, there are restrictions or bans on GMO production due to concerns about health safety and environmental impact. In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale, according to the Non-GMO Project.

"This moment makes me extremely optimistic about the future of our food supply and the persistence, energy and integrity of the natural and organic food visionaries who propel our industry forward.", says Joe Dickson, who works on the Whole Foods Market Quality Standards Team.

Whole Foods Market has been working on the process of verifying its private label products as GMO-free for over five years, and says, "Bioengineering of food is, for many, simply inconsistent with the very basic idea of natural food. We’re drawing a very important line in the sand and supporting shoppers looking to avoid GMOs."

The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization who works with organic and natural product manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, farmers, seed breeders and consumers in North America who are committed to ensuring the sustained availability of non-GMO food options, according to the Non-GMO Project mission statement.

To join in the Non-GMO Project and find out which brands have committed to banning GMOs in their products visit NonGMOProject.org. To join the cause sign up for the Project’s Consumer Pledge and become a fan on Facebook.