I just had the experience of being “duped” at my local natural foods store. I bought a package of granola for my interns, one that was gluten-free, with what looked like decent ingredients…but I didn’t have my reading glasses with me. Once I got home and literally “read the fine print” I discovered that none of the ingredients were certified organic, and because it contained canola oil, it was contaminated with a GMO.
So “natural” now means absolutely nothing about healthy except as a marketing ploy. Yes, the oats were gluten-free, but don’t gluten sensitive folks deserve organic and GMO free as well? And this is a fairly local brand (Udi’s in Denver), with lots of good vibes and press, lots of feel-good copy on their site, which I went to. All this focus on how the products are made with love, and no guarantee they are GMO free or pesticide free. They may be delicious, but they aren’t nutritious in my book.
Which brings me to the Cornucopia Institute and their research on a very popular brand of “natural” food, Kashi Cereal:
For example, Kashi is owned by Kellogg, which has contributed $612,000 to defeating Proposition 37. Last year, The Cornucopia Institute published a study, Cereal Crimes (http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/10/natural-vs-organic-cereal/), which revealed that the popular, “natural” Kashi GoLean cereal brand, unbeknownst to its customers, contains genetically engineered ingredients.
In what The Cornucopia Institute characterizes as “creating a façade,” nowhere on the Kashi website or packaging is it disclosed that the company is owned by Kellogg, rather than the “small band of passionate people” featured on the Kashi website.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036834_Kashi_Larabar_boycott.html#ixzz23rJnlGPJ