Green Washing?
What does "natural" mean? Depends on who you ask.
A Rhode Island grocer decided to stop carrying Kashi cereals after reading a reportstating it contained some genetically-modified and non-organic ingredients.
John Wood, owner of Portsmouth's The Green Grocer, said he didn't mean start controversy. His simple note on grocery shelves explaining why the Kashi brand would no longer be stocked went viral, and became a springboard for a national debate.
Kashi argues the company did nothing wrong. The FDA does not regulate the term "natural."
No More GMOs
The real issue for consumers, however, is they feel lied to. Consumers turned to Kashi because of its "natural" labeling, and the presence of GMO soy is troubling for many.
As a result of the uproar, Kashi released a statement yesterday saying beginning in 2015, "all new Kashi foods will contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients and be Non-GMO Project Verified as well." The company's biggest sellers -- GOLEAN cereals and Chewy Granola Bars -- will be Non-GMO Project Verified by the end of 2014.
The question then becomes, will consumers like you stick around for three years while the changes are being implemented?