Sept. 30, 2014. This October, Bare Essentials Natural Market will join more than 1,500 grocery retailers across North America who are participating in the fifth annual Non-GMO Month. Created by the Non-GMO Project, this month-long celebration puts a spotlight on the consumer’s right to choose food and products without genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
“I talk to customers almost daily who are concerned about GMOs in our food supply,” said Bare Essentials Natural Market Co-Owner Ben Henderson.
“With GMOs now contaminating as much as 80 percent of conventional packaged foods, we’re more committed than ever to helping people find safe, healthy, non-GMO choices. We believe people have the right to know what’s in their food, and we’ll be celebrating that right throughout Non-GMO month this October.”
During Non-GMO Month, Bare Essentials Natural Market will help shoppers identify Non-GMO Project Verified choices with special shelf tags, end cap displays and educational materials.
The non-GMO category is one of the fastest growing sectors in grocery; with 80 percent of shoppers seeking out non-GMO products and 56 percent saying non-GMO was key to brand buying. This growing awareness is sparking major change in the industry: labeling ballot measures, food manufacturers refining ingredients, retailers announcing their non-GMO purchasing policies and food service companies inquiring about verification. To date, more than 22,000 products have been Non-GMO Project Verified, with annual sales of these products topping $7 billion.
Public concerns about GMOs are rising as studies increasingly raise doubts about the long-term safety and environmental impact of this experimental technology. GMO labeling is mandatory in 64 countries around the world including Australia, Russia, China and all of Europe, but no such requirements exist in the United States.
“The right to know what we’re eating and feeding our families is so basic,” said Megan Westgate, Executive Director of the nonprofit Non-GMO Project.
“Americans deserve the same freedom to avoid experimental GMO foods as people in other countries.”
The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving and building the non-GMO food supply, educating consumers and providing verified non-GMO choices. They believe that everyone deserves an informed choice about whether or not to consume genetically modified organisms.
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