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12 GENERAL NEWS GMO Labeling Continued from PAGE 1 any definitive scientific evidence that this particular group of products poses real risks to those who consume them. There is a somewhat arduous process a company must undergo in order to place a "Non GMO Project Verified" label on its products. Companies must work with the Non GMO Project to verify that all the ingredients they use are non-GMO. This involves extensive DNA testing. There are also inspections of production facilities as well as supplier inspections. In addition, a company must undergo regular audits to determine its continuing commitment to offering nonGMO products. The process can be a costly one, both financially and in terms of time. Still, the potential rewards for a company that successfully navigates this process can be substantial. Perhaps most importantly, these companies are providing the additional level of clarity their label-conscious customers desire, making their products more marketable to this demographic. "For a lot of people, especially in the natural, organic world, it is very important to know that they are eating non-genetically modified foods or foods that don't use GMOs," said Kasey Moss, Marketing Director for Enjoy Life Foods. Enjoy Life markets about 40 products, all gluten-free, nonGMO and free of the top eight food allergens. "Our target consumer is the person with food allergies or food intolerance or celiac disease. But then there's this whole GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2013 www.gourmetnews.com other market that also eats this non-GMO all-natural lifestyle. So it's important for us." Moss did point out, however, that the process of becoming non-GMO-verified was not a seamless one for her company. Her biggest complaint about the process was the amount of time it took to finally gain approval from the Non GMO Project. From start to finish, Enjoy Life waited 17 months for approval. The time required to navigate the verification process, as well as the monetary costs involved are just part of the difficulty that companies considering going non-GMO will need to consider. For example, companies should understand that there can be considerably heightened costs to consider for a food company that must switch to sourcing all non-GMO ingredients. Whether it be the honey in crackers or the soy emulsifiers in chocolate, the decision to switch to non-GMO ingredients can be an expensive one. And this cost will almost certainly need to be passed on to the consumer. Even when price is not a major concern, limited supply can be. According to Errol Schweizer, Associate Global Grocery Coordinator for Whole Foods Market, this continues to be one of the biggest problems Whole Foods encounters as it makes the move toward becoming more GMO-conscious. "I think what we need to do is get back to supply. We need to increase the supply," Schweizer said. "I'm actually really confident that if we get to the farming community and increase—double every year, maybe even triple—the amount of non-GMO and organic crops that are available, that's going to really help us with all the cost issues." Because the number of suppliers committed to providing specialty food companies with non-GMO-verified ingredients for their products continues to be quite limited, another significant issue inhibiting these companies from receiving their certification is their inability to continue sourcing the same high quality ingredients on which they have come to rely. For example, a pasta company that wants to go non-GMO may be required to switch to a different cheese supplier, or company that makes cooking sauces may no longer be able to work with the same local farm to get its produce. This can be an impassable roadblock to a specialty food brand that is defined by the quality of the ingredients it uses. Finally, there is one other reason that some companies, even those with strong commitments to other certification programs like USDA Organic, are choosing not to pursue non-GMO verification: the desire not to mislead their customers. Many food products are already inherently non-GMO, by virtue of the fact that none of their ingredients are available in a genetically modified form. Thus, many see the act of putting a non-GMO label on these products as nothing more than a sneaky attempt to falsely woo customers. Guittard Chocolate Company has not sought out a non-GMO certification, despite the fact that the company went out of its way to switch out the GMO soy lecithin in its products for non-GMO sunflower lecithin. For Amy Guittard, Marketing Manager at Guittard, this decision was based off the fact that the company already sees its products as inherently non-GMO. "It's one of those things that it's a choice for us whether we want to do it," Guittard said. "For consumers, the beautiful thing about certifications is that there's brand recognition in the certifications in a sense. In some ways they're familiar with that. And that works in your favor. But [for us] I don't see a need to have a certification for something like non-GMO, because you turn over the box and it says cocoa beans, sunflower lecithin [and] cane sugar." Despite potential hurdles and a bevy of reasons not to pursue certification, many companies continue to be motivated to get their products non-GMO-verified. For Schweizer, it is important for Whole Foods to label GMOs in its products in order to let consumers make an intelligent choice about their food. "It's your choice whether or not you want [GMOs]," he said. "As a retailer, what we're really saying here is we support the customer's right to know, the right to choose what they eat. We're not taking that position officially as a retailer—a value or scientific judgment on GMOs." For those companies looking to start the certification process, Moss offers her words of wisdom: "If you want to do it, start now, because it takes a long time, especially if you have an abundance of products…Provide as much information up front as you possibly can. Don't pick and choose. If you're going to do your whole product line, do it systematically…And follow up in a timely fashion." GN

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