Speaker 0 00:00:00 Their response was Emily. Thank you for contacting us about if we use GMOs in our crisps, because the majority of our ingredients come from us farms and genetically modified in parentheses GM crops have been grown in the U S for the past 20 years. Many of our foods include GM ingredients in the same proportion that they occur in the U S food supply.
Speaker 2 00:00:38 Welcome to another episode of GMO watch. I'm your host Emily journey. I'm curious about GMOs and why I choose to eat organic and non GMO foods. My guests and I are going to break down the hype from the facts around GMOs in our food so that you can come to your own conclusions about what you want.
Speaker 0 00:01:00 Welcome everyone to the GMO watch podcast. This is our letters episode. Today's our first day sharing our letters and responses to food manufacturers. And today I have with me, Darren Braithwaite, Darren, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. Hey guys, Darren is our, is our marketing manager. So Darren and I, we did a project this past week. We decided to take some food manufacturers and we went through our kitchens, picked out some food products. The only requirement was that they can't be organic because we already know organic food. Doesn't contain GMOs. And then we looked for a way to contact that food manufacturer and ask them a simple question. Does your product have GMOs? And then we waited for a response. So Darren, I contacted two companies. I contacted Pringles and Walker shortbread. Okay. Now
Speaker 3 00:02:08 You told me you love walkers.
Speaker 0 00:02:10 Oh, I do. I actually have a box sitting right here, unopened and I, uh, yeah, I really have to control myself to, I, I can eat half the box easily along with a couple of cups of coffee. And who did you contact?
Speaker 3 00:02:24 I contacted a few people at first. I was going with my favorite snacks and then I was like, well, maybe I should check up with companies that make things I don't often eat, but that I know are really popular. So I reached out to smart food popcorn. I also reached out to Doritos the company that makes Ritz crackers and Pepperidge farm, which makes goldfish and a bunch of different cookies.
Speaker 0 00:02:48 I'm going to go for something I'm going to go with Pringles. So I'm going to first, first thing I'm gonna do is I'm going to share what I actually wrote to them on the back of the Pringles can it's in very small print, but it's, you can call or you can go to the website and then it at the website, you can fill out a form. I wrote, hello. I am a big fan of Pringles. I always buy them when I go on vacation, because I think they're probably not healthy to eat on a regular basis. Anyway, my question is, do Pringles have GMOs? Thanks, Emily journey. That is true about me. I really buy Pringles when I go on vacation. So it's just kind of a indulgence. So I was amazed at how, how quickly they responded. They responded like the very next day or within 48 hours.
Speaker 0 00:03:48 And I was just really amazed by the response. So the subject line of the email that I received was Pringles consumer affairs reference number, and then there's a number, right? So that was in the subject line. Their response was Emily. Thank you for contacting us about if we use GMOs in our crisps, because the majority of our ingredients come from U S farms and genetically modified in parentheses GM crops have been grown in the U S for the past 20 years. Many of our foods include GM ingredients in the same proportion that they occur in the us food supply. It says it's a very long sentence. It says many things. And so it's like this preface for well, because we, you know, the, the, the ingredients of our foods come from us farms and that GM crops have been grown in the U S for the past 20 years.
Speaker 0 00:04:55 Many of our foods include GM ingredients in the same proportion that they occur in the U S food supply. So I'll, I'll just continue to read because they have more to say, learn more about why we make our foods with both GMO and non GMO ingredients. So they provide a link for me to like click and learn. Uh, so it sounds like they've actually done some homework on this. And then they say to find if your favorite foods contain genetically modified ingredients, please use our GMO lookup tool. And I'm like, what do you have a GMO lookup tool? That's crazy. I got to click on that. That's really convenient though. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm going to click on it. We're going to find out what's there. And then they go on to say, thanks again, Emily, for taking the time to reach out to us.
Speaker 0 00:05:50 We appreciate your interest in Pringles, the original and hope you have a great day. We're always here to help additional comments or photos are welcome. I think that's funny that they want photos. Please share them by clicking here to add to this conversation. So I'm like, what's, you're giving me an opportunity to share photos. And then they sing the signature is Kellogg consumer affairs. And then they have a reference number, an 800 number their hours. And then they put like a little ad at the bottom of it with pictures of some of their other products. So I didn't realize that sprinkles are a Kellogg's products. So what do you think about this? Did you get any responses as detailed as this?
Speaker 3 00:06:39 The responses I got weren't as detailed, but they were just as fast. So I sent out emails and with some of the companies, they got back to me in as little as eight hours. And I was really surprised by that. Cause I know with email, sometimes you don't hear back from people for two or three days.
Speaker 0 00:06:57 Yeah. So I think that's really telling that how quickly these companies respond is, is because they actually want to hear from us food manufacturers. We're actually their customers. I actually eat Pringles. I actually eat Walker shortbread. And it's a very powerful, you know, what we choose to eat is like a vote almost. It's like, it's very powerful. One of the things that we do every day, multiple times a day is eat and eating costs money. So we put our money into our food, right. And this is like the direct line to these companies. So these companies that they invest so much in, like in the, you know, their image and branding and they actually want to hear from us. So I think that's, that's pretty cool. And I mean, there's really hardly any place you can contact and get that quick of a response.
Speaker 3 00:07:51 Yeah. It made me think about how much power you have as a consumer, especially with brands that are a part of your everyday life, food and toiletries and certain gadgets and things. Um, so it was really interesting to see how quickly they responded. And it also made me feel like, wow, you value your customers. Even if I don't eat those foods, which some of them didn't know. Cause I also presented my email. Like, uh, I'm a big fan of GMO's in your food. So I think that on their end, they might've perceived me as a bigger fan than I might actually be. But either way they responded back really quickly. And my responses were quite similar. I got some yeses and nos and then I got a couple answers that were a bit vague. And then of course there was one company that didn't respond to me at all.
Speaker 0 00:08:44 I'm going to click on this GMO lookup tool for our listeners. I just clicked on the link that they provided in the email. And it's there GMO look up tool. It takes me to a website called open for breakfast.com. And this page says, do my favorite Kellogg's products contain GMOs or genetically modified ingredients. And, and then they go on, on this page. It says that, oh, that genetically modified crops are common in many foods and Kellogg's products are no exception. They are scientifically proven to be safe. And we want you to be able to know what goes into your food. So that's nice. That's a good intention. And then they say, so we've made this total that you check, which of our foods available in the us contain GMOs, just type a product name or a keyword below and find your product. That's very
Speaker 3 00:09:46 Straightforward.
Speaker 0 00:09:47 So let me just check. I'm just going to type the word frosted mini wheats,
Speaker 3 00:09:53 Not be the first people to ask if they have a whole tool already. This is probably a question they get all the time.
Speaker 0 00:10:00 Okay. So I got results. So frosted mini wheats, and then they have the different brands. They like have original chocolate blueberry. And so then it says this food contains at least one ingredient that is genetically modified. This could be crops like corn, sugar, beets, canola, or soy. So they don't say specifically, but it does say yes, it contains at least one ingredient. You know, I have to say good job catalogs. That's a pretty transparent system that they've got set up there. And so I can choose whether or not I want to eat products with GMOs. And if I want to look up, they're not trying to hide it. So that's, that's pretty awesome. Let's go to one of, one of your food products
Speaker 3 00:10:46 With the smart food popcorn, because I think their response was really interesting. I emailed them and I said, I'm a big fan. And I really like eating your popcorn. And I've always wondered if they contain any GMOs, which is the truth. I've been eating this popcorn for years. And I got the following response, which was, hi, Darren, thank you for writing to our knowledge. Genetically modified popping corn is not commercially available. Please know, I will gladly share your interest in non GMO project verified options with our brand team. Thanks again for your interest and have a great day. What I thought was interesting was that they said that genetically modified popping corn isn't commercially available, but they didn't say that their popcorn did not contain GMOs. So I was a bit confused cause it wasn't a yes or no. It was just kind of this somewhat vague answer of, well, they're not available, but if you want them, I'll tell the team. So I was like,
Speaker 0 00:11:48 Yeah, that is a very strange response. So let me make sure, cause I have to actually check with you if, to make sure I understand this correctly, the product is called smart popcorn,
Speaker 3 00:11:58 Smart food popcorn, the white cheddar
Speaker 0 00:12:01 Flavor. Oh, got it. Okay. Yes. I've had this. It's actually delicious. So what their response was is that genetically modified, popping corn is not available
Speaker 3 00:12:14 Is not commercially available, which would lead me to think they don't have it. And that their popcorn contains GM.
Speaker 0 00:12:22 Well, no. So that th that it doesn't contain GMOs. Yes.
Speaker 3 00:12:27 Excuse me.
Speaker 0 00:12:28 Yeah. So it's, it doesn't contain GMOs. They're kind of implying it, but they didn't
Speaker 3 00:12:33 Give me a clear answer. So now confused. And I feel like I need to grab a bag and look to see if there's a GMO stamp anywhere on
Speaker 0 00:12:41 It. So what was it they said after
Speaker 3 00:12:43 That, the next part was, please know, I will gladly share your interest in non GMO project verified options with our brand team.
Speaker 0 00:12:52 So that's actually a company that sells labeling for non GMO foods. And had you mentioned that company in your inquiry?
Speaker 3 00:13:03 No, I
Speaker 0 00:13:03 Hadn't. So they kind of introduced that idea. So it sounds like they don't now podcasts listeners, if you know different, please let us know, contact us at our, go to our
[email protected] and use the contact form. And if this sounds strange to you, tell us what you think. You know, I just kind of assumed that corn of all kinds sold in the United States is just automatically GMO. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:13:32 That's what I thought
Speaker 0 00:13:33 Too. So that's pretty fascinating. Let's look at another one. What's the, what's another food product that you contacted
Speaker 3 00:13:42 Do Doritos. Next, I contacted them and I asked them about the natural cheese and cool ranch flavors. And the response back that I got was, Hey, Darren, these are not non GMO project verified. Both of them contain GMOs. If you are trying to find out about other flavors that do not, or do contain GMOs, please visit our website psych. Hm.
Speaker 0 00:14:08 So they just generally sent you to the website. Yeah. Which I can't imagine that like when you go to the website that there's actually any information on whether or not their foods have GMOs.
Speaker 3 00:14:22 I think that for snacks and foods that do contain GMOs sometimes instead of talking about it, it's like unspoken. Like just don't ask, like, they'll tell you if you ask them, but if you press a bit more, they're like go to the website. So that's where they say,
Speaker 0 00:14:40 Okay. So, so they said, yes, Doritos and cool ranch, Doritos. They have GMOs. Yeah. They, you know, they weren't kind of beating around the Bush. They also mentioned that non-GMO verified project. They said
Speaker 3 00:14:56 These are not non GMO project verified.
Speaker 0 00:14:59 Yeah. So we didn't even mention that organization. They brought it up.
Speaker 3 00:15:06 I'm guessing that that organization is just like the, the king of declaring whether or not foods contain GMOs.
Speaker 0 00:15:13 Yeah. They must be familiar with it. I mean, I do see their label on a lot of things. It's a company that they have, like some kind of process you can go through in order to use their label. You can pay to use the label. You also have to meet a lot of standards, but the standards are controlled and set by that company. It's not like a government organization or, or anything like that. So it's like, uh, I could come up with my own, like called GMO, watch verified if I wanted to, and I could have my own standards and they could be whatever I decide they are. And then I could say, Hey, Pringles, put my GMO, uh, watch verified label on your can.
Speaker 3 00:15:58 Yeah. I wonder where they derive their authority.
Speaker 0 00:16:02 There is no oversight of that company. Where does their authority come from? And I don't know the answer to that, but it's fascinating to me that these two companies so far that you've contacted actually would bring them into the conversation.
Speaker 3 00:16:19 Maybe we can reach out to them next time.
Speaker 0 00:16:22 I would love to have them on the podcast. One, someone from the GMO project verified organization would love to interview them. Okay. So I'm going to pull up my email that I sent to Walker's shortbread. So I was able to email them directly instead of filling out a form on their website. And the subject line of my email was shortbread ingredients question. So here's something to know about Walker, shortbread. They are not an American food company. So Walker shortbread is made in Scotland and GMOs are banned in the European union. I believe. I don't think that means they're non-existent in the European union. So my question was, hi. I love Walker shortbread. My husband says he can make them at home because the ingredients are so simple. But I tell him there's something special about the high quality of your flour and butter. There's probably also something special about the air in Scotland.
Speaker 0 00:17:27 I have a question I've been learning about GMOs. Do Walker, shortbread have GMOs. Thank you. And then, so, and then they responded very quickly. Their response was dear Ms. Journey. Thank you for taking the time to contact Walker, shortbread. It is always a pleasure. Hear from our customers. All our products are GMO free and we only source our ingredients from companies who can guarantee non-GMO ingredients. If you need any further assistance, please feel free to contact us once again. Thank you for your interest in Walker's shortbread. This interest is both important to us and as most appreciated kind regards Erica customer service. So this is actually the first person to actually put their name. So there's nothing on the Walker's shortbread packaging that says non-GMO, but they are non-GMO. So they don't feel the need for a label that says non-GMO they just are. And I wonder that makes me wonder, is this an American thing, because this is a Scottish company. Is this an American thing to put non-GMO labeling on food products? I have
Speaker 3 00:18:50 We in England and it's funny because whenever they visit, they're shocked at how big some of our fruits are here. They go to strawberries and everything.
Speaker 0 00:18:59 I wonder because GMOs are not really used. And in Europe, I wonder if that affects, you know, like they don't even have to put up on the food packaging, any kind of label that says non-GMO.
Speaker 3 00:19:13 And I'm also wondering if companies can just opt out of this completely where they don't have a GMO or non-GMO GMO sticker. They just have nothing.
Speaker 0 00:19:23 Companies are not required to label in the United States are not required to put any kind of indication on their food packaging that says whether or not they have GMOs. And there has been for years, a very strong push for there to be labeling that discloses whether or not there are GMOs in the ingredients of the food. A lot of companies that have been putting this non GMO project verified label on their packaging, they're doing that voluntarily. It's like a marketing thing and organic foods are already non-GMO, but there can be non GMO foods that are not organic, but there's currently no requirements. So although that is expected to change about a year from now, I believe there's legislation that's passed. That is going to require the disclosure on food packaging. If there are any GMO ingredients in a product. So we're looking at a change coming up in about a year, about a year from now, because if it's
Speaker 3 00:20:34 Not universal, then how could it work?
Speaker 0 00:20:37 Yeah, I'm just a big fan of disclosure. Like I think it's really important for people to just have all of the information so that they can make their own decision. Right? That's what GMO watches all about, which brings me to the company. You emailed the food companies that you've been emailing with. They've been really quick to respond. I've had that same experience. What's the company that you've emailed and they haven't responded at all.
Speaker 3 00:21:05 That was Pepperidge farms, which was coincidentally the company I was least familiar with beyond goldfish. Actually, no, the company that didn't respond was actually mandolins, which makes Ritz crackers and some other crackers Pepperidge farm was the one that stated they could not disclose that at the moment.
Speaker 0 00:21:25 Let's talk about that. So let's talk about Pepperidge farm.
Speaker 3 00:21:29 I sent them the same email, just, I really love your product. And I was wondering if it contains GMO's and they responded damn, thanks for reaching out. So it says, unfortunately we are not at Liberty to disclose the GMO or non-GMO contents of this product at the moment.
Speaker 0 00:21:46 No way.
Speaker 3 00:21:48 Yeah. And I was really surprised cause I'm thinking that this is a very low stakes question that would just get a yes or no.
Speaker 0 00:21:57 They they're like I'm I cannot confirm or deny that makes it sound like such a hot potato.
Speaker 3 00:22:05 And now I'm wondering if there's something in there that's really good or really bad or
Speaker 0 00:22:11 Who knows. And did you like ask specifically about goldfish crackers?
Speaker 3 00:22:17 I asked about a variety of products, but I did mention that one of my favorites was gold fish.
Speaker 0 00:22:24 They were like, we don't know, or we can't tell you.
Speaker 3 00:22:28 I don't know. So I think even though the wording is bit confusing, what they might have been saying is that they don't know. And because they don't know, they don't want to give an end.
Speaker 0 00:22:39 Oh, I think that's given them a pass. I think they know. And they don't want to tell us because they're afraid of what we might think or what we might do with the information. That's what I think, wondering if maybe,
Speaker 3 00:22:53 Maybe the fact that goldfish are really popular for kids is part of why they didn't, they didn't want to disclose.
Speaker 0 00:23:00 Oh yeah. I didn't even think of that
Speaker 3 00:23:02 Because I remember growing up always getting gold Fisher on school, field trips and at the park or wherever, they're just like really common.
Speaker 0 00:23:12 Well, I actually was on a flight and the snack I was going from Columbus to Atlanta and they gave us goldfish crackers. Okay. That's interesting. So, and then there was one company, the company that makes Ritz crackers. That's
Speaker 3 00:23:29 Mondilise
Speaker 0 00:23:31 I think I never even knew who created Ritz crackers and they just haven't responded yet. No.
Speaker 3 00:23:37 And it responded, I'm thinking maybe my email got lost beneath a bunch of other emails, but I'm still waiting on the, from them about if Ritz crackers contain GMO.
Speaker 0 00:23:49 So these other companies we heard back, like, did you have to wait more than 24 hours for any of these companies?
Speaker 3 00:23:56 The only one I've been waiting on for a while is mandolins. It's been over 24 hours, but it hasn't been like a month, third, two weeks or anything crazy like that. It's been maybe two or three days now.
Speaker 0 00:24:08 So we'll give them another few days. They just didn't make it in time for the podcast. So this is great. I'm really glad that we did this thing, that our listeners will find this valuable. So what I'd like to do is encourage our listeners to reach out to the companies that make the food in your kitchens and just ask them a straightforward question, see what the answer is, and then share with us, send the responses that you get, share them with us here at GMO watch, and we'll share them on not coming up a sewed. It's just letters to food manufacturers, that type of episode. And it's just like this. And we'll share your experience with, you know, reaching out to food manufacturers and what their responses are. We'll just want you to probably forward those emails to us, but first reach out through our contact
[email protected] and thank you for joining us. Thank you Darren, for doing this exercise with me. This was fun. Thank you.
Speaker 2 00:25:15 Thank you for listening to this episode of GMO watch. If you love the episode, head over to apple podcasts and leave us a rating and a review. This helps other listeners know what you think about our show and they'll share GMO watch with more people like you as reviews come in, I'll read them and give you a shout out. So make sure you add your Instagram handle to your review. I'll see you next week.
