tagged w/ Kashi
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John Wood, owner of Portsmouth, Rhode Island health food store Green Grocer, no longer felt comfortable selling Kashi cereals after reading the report Cereal Crimes from non-profit family farm advocacy group Cornucopia Institute (CI), which investigated whether cereals labeled “organic” or “natural” contained genetically-modified (GMO) ingredients and/or the same presence of pesticide residues found on cheaper, conventional cereals. Shockingly, CI’s report found that many “natural” cereal brands, like Kashi, owned by Kellogg and a national best-seller in its market, contain surprisingly high levels of GMOs and carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting pesticide residues, despite being marketed and priced as a premium, healthier product. The report illuminated what many consumers may not realize - that there is in fact no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation behind the use of the label “natural” on a cereal box.
“The FDA has chosen not to regulate the term ‘natural,’” says David DeSouza, Kashi general manager. Kashi defines natural as “food that’s minimally processed, made with no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners.”
DeSouza says consumers who want clear guidance about genetically modified ingredients can look to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic regulations, which prohibit GMOs in products labeled “organic.”
Wood tacked an explanatory note to his cereal aisle shelf detailing why Kashi products are no longer being carried at Green Grocer. Images of this posted note unexpectedly went viral on the web last week, provoking an angry Kashi customer backlash. Calls stormed in to the company’s customer service line and hundreds of comments were posted on their Facebook page, many of which expressed outrage at being misled.
“Had I known I was buying a product that was like all the others in the ‘normal’ cereal aisle….I would have never purchased it and I certainly would not have paid the high prices!!!!! It disgusts me,” wrote one customer. “Yours is the only brand cereal I have bought for years. Not anymore! You are despicable. Everything you supposedly stand for is a lie,” another angry customer added.
Kashi immediately went on the defense. For a period of time on Wednesday, April 25, Kashi indicated in a recorded message that they were “temporarily” not accepting calls. A video posted on their Facebook page that same afternoon stated that “while it’s likely that some of our foods contain GMOs,” Kashi makes a “significant contribution to supporting organic agriculture.” The company went on to debunk CI’s information as “scientifically inaccurate and misleading because it was not based on actual testing of Kashi products.”
Full Story: http://www.emagazine.com/daily-news/gmos-and-pesticides-found-in-kashi-cerealJohn Wood, owner of Portsmouth, Rhode Island health food store Green Grocer, no longer... more
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