400 Companies That Are GMO Free

05 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Buy Idaho, Cooking Safety, Food Prep, Food Trivia, Gardens, GMOs, Interesting Information, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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GMO, GMO free, Organic products, PLU, The Free Thought Program, Whole Foods

Here is an article from The Free Thought Program that lists 400 companies that are GM free, at least some of their products. They do not use GMO’s in their products. Whole Foods is just one of them.

All too often we rely on the state to tell us what to eat and which companies are ethical. And all too often the companies that the state deems ethical and safe are proven to be quite the opposite. The giant agricultural companies that produce GMOs and use millions of tons of chemicals are able to do so because of monetary support. As long as we continue to purchase their products they will continue to pollute the environment and our bodies.

You and I have the power to stop this madness. We can choose to support those companies that do not use GMOs. The best way is to buy from a local organic farmer, or to grow your own; however there are plenty of ethical companies out there that you can support who practice sustainable methods and source from farmers that do not use GMO. [The Free Thought Project]

Another good informational social media site is on Facebook at GMO Awareness USA, which also has some good information on GMO free and resources. And if you are following the PLU numbers, that little 4 or 5 digit number that is on a sticker on most produce, then be aware anything that begins with an “8” is a GMO product. Organic products start with a “9” and conventional growing practices run the gamut from “2” – “7”. Stated another way, organic produce has a 5 digit PLU number that begins with the number 9. Conventional produce has a 4 digit PLU number that begins with the number 4. Genetically modified (GMO) produce has a 5 digit PLU number that begins with the number 8.

Trader Joe’s Boise Finally Open

28 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Comfort Food, GMOs, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Events, Trader Joe's, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Trader Joe's, Whole Foods

Yes! Finally the store is open! Not as big a crowd as I expected though. Weather was good … slightly cool but no rain. I am sorry that my request to attend the Media Day was rejected, Whole Foods was more than happy to have us and even went out of their way when they first opened here in Boise. But at least I got to attend the Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting. It was good. Here are some photos of the event, Trader Joe’s Opens.

Would you believe we started out as a small chain of convenience stores? It’s true. Way back in 1958. We were called Pronto Markets. In ’67, our founder, the original Trader Joe, changed our name (yes, to Trader Joe’s) and the way we do business.
1967 – The first Trader Joe’s opened its doors in Pasadena, California. Still there today – same spot, same parking lot.
If you were into wine – especially California wines – Trader Joe’s was the place to go. Still is. But back in the late 1960s, we sold every California wine there was.

Do enjoy the photos and Left-Click to see them enlarged. Cheers! The above quote is from the Trader Joe’s website.

The 6:30am group. Not yet a crowd but still very congenial.

As the morning awakened, the group became a small crowd.

“Trader Joer’s”

The rising sun brings activity to the store.

Boise’s Mayor Dave Bieter opens the store. Thank-You Mr Mayor for taking time from your busy schedule and attending.

Inside the store. Just one of many products. I like Lemon Curd. So does Robin.

I checked many of the produce items and most were 3000, 4000 and 9000 PLU series. That’s good …. No 8000 series that I saw.

And of course, there is always a good wine selection.

This is just one of the worldwide wine types available. All of the wines have a good price on them.

So that’s it for the Opening Ceremony. Short. Sweet. And Boise was ready for this to happen. A different type of grocery store from Whole Foods or Albertsons. I wish them great success.

Whole Foods Media Tour, Boise

13 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Buy Idaho, Celebrations, Food, GMOs, Hard To Find Foods, Organic Foods, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Whole Foods

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ballard family, chevre cheese, food, kitchen pantry, zeppoles

On November 12, Robin and I were invited to attend the Whole Foods Media Tour by Glenda Catron. Thank you, Glenda, it was informative and interesting. The public tour, also held on the 12th, was well attended and filled up quickly. The “Ribbon Cutting”. also know by Whole Foods fans as the “Break Bread Ceremony” where a giant loaf of bread will be shared, will be at 9:30 am on Wednesday, November 14. Here are some interesting facts that Ben Friedland, District Manager of Whole Foods, pointed out to us. There are 342 stores in the US, Canada and United Kingdom and all of them are designed differently to reflect the community where they are located. As he said, “When you walk through the doors, it’s like walking into your kitchen pantry. We want you to feel at home.”
It is really great to see all of the local, Idaho Produced and Grown items. Some of the Idaho businesses represented are: Gaston’s Bakery, Zeppoles Bakery, Rollingstone Chevre Cheese, Ballard Family Cheese, and Homestead Natural Foods. All of the meats at this store are 30-40% locally produced. This is by no means the total list.
And Idaho wineries are also represented and I think the Idaho breweries are too.
Non-GMO products and quality products will be found here. Read the labels and be familiar with the PLU codes. (GMO products start with an 8. 80000 would be a GMO. 90000 products are organic.) Here are some photos of the tour. You can pause the slideshow at any time and you can go back or forwards. Enjoy!

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PS: As a late post from Glenda Catron,
“About Whole Foods Market^®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market ( www.wholefoodsmarket.com ) is the leading retailer of natural and organic foods and America’s first national “Certified Organic” grocer. In fiscal year 2012, the Company had sales of approximately $12 billion and currently has 342 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market employs approximately 73,000 Team Members and has been ranked for 15 consecutive years as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by Fortune magazine.”

Visit to Life’s Kitchen in Boise

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in GMOs, Life's Kitchen, Photos By: Bob Young, PLU Codes, What's For Dinner?

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Robin delivered a Pug sweatshirt to Chef Maggie Kiefer at Life’s Kitchen today and we just had to stay for lunch! We also talked to chef Chris Henderson – both Chef’s we have known in previous lives – and it was interesting that Chef Chris said that there will be a Life’s Kitchen Food Truck possibly at the next Food Truck Rally Boise. I hope so.
Then also, Robin found this article on Facebook on how to read the PLU food codes on most vegetables. Below is a short discussion on those codes. Are you eating organic, genetically modified or standard grown vegetables and fruits? But first, look at the meal we had for lunch at Life’s Kitchen. Cheers!

Bacon Corn Soup
(Delicious!)

Burger Topped with Soft Fried Egg on Spinach Bed

BBQ Pork on Brioche
Fried Pickles
(I have never had fried pickles. Will I again? Maybe.)

And here is the information on the PLU codes on the stickers of most fruits and vegetables. Please note that it is not required by law that these codes be included with all products. From Snopes we learn that

Those stickers on fruits and vegetables tell you quite a bit! 4 numbers mean that they were conventionally grown. 5 numbers starting with the number 8 means they are genetically modified (GMO). And 5 numbers starting with the number 9 means they are organically grown.

If you know the PLU code, or the category of the produce you want to purchase, you can find out more specific information about the product at PLU Codes.

And from Organic Foods, we see that

In grocery stores, produce that is sold in bulk has a Price Look Up Code (PLU). The PLU code is determined by the International Federation for Produce Standards http://www.plucodes.com. The produce can have either a 4 or 5 digit code printed on a sticker that is applied directly to the produce. The PLU stickers are used to make checkout easier and more efficient for the grocery store cashier. Once you know a few basics about PLU codes they are a breeze to read and you can double check the produce you choose to make sure that it is what you really want.
PLU Numbers on Produce Stickers:

Organic produce has a 5 digit PLU number that begins with the number 9.
Conventional produce has a 4 digit PLU number that begins with the number 4.
Genetically modified (GMO) produce has a 5 digit PLU number that begins with the number 8.

Initially in 1992 when the bio tech companies thought that we would all want to eat their altered food they wanted to have a new “code” so that we could all see which food was the altered and would buy it up- ya right! So they adopted the number 8 to appear in front of their products. Quickly the industry learned that not only do we NOT want the GMO foods we will purposely not purchase foods that have been altered they no longer use the number “8” as part of the code. The only GMO product that still used the “8” code is Hawaiian papaya.

The only foods that you can be sure are not GMO foods are labeled “Certified Organic”. Organic producers must follow strict rules to be able to label their products as organic. Interesting or disturbingly enough the companies producing the GMO (chemically altered foods) do not have labeling restrictions- Crazy! Anything else is fair game unfortunately- pay special attention to products that have corn, cotton seed or soy they may have GMO origins.

President Obama has stated that he supports mandatory labeling of GMO foods.

I think this is some really interesting information. I hope you enjoy and use the information. Thanks, Robin, for bringing it to my attention. Cheers!