Smart Balance removes GMOS from their butter spreads

Tuesday, March 11, 2014 by: Elisha McFarland
Tags: Smart Balance, GMOs, butter spreads

(NaturalNews) On Monday, Smart Balance, a Colorado-based company announced that they will stop using GMO ingredients in 15 of their "butter" spreads. Stephen Hughes, chairman and CEO of Boulder Brand, the parent company of Smart Balance, is hoping that others will follow his lead. According to Hughes the Non GMO-labeled product will show up on shelves in 30 days and the conversion should be completed in 90 days.

"Consumers are communicating a strong desire for more transparency in their food ingredients, and that is leading to a growing demand for non-GMO products," said Stephen Hughes, "Consumers favor healthier, less processed foods with simpler ingredients. They think what we put in our food matters, and frankly, the same applies to what we leave out. We hear this echoed over and over by our consumers and we are committed to moving in this direction."

The company sells 22 to 23 million units a year of their butter spread, so losing out on that many sales because of GMOs would have a huge impact on their sales. Hughes states that consumer demand inspired the change, citing that 40 percent of their consumers want a non GMO product. This isn't the first time that Smart Balance has taken the lead on ingredients. When the company was founded in 1997 they were the first butter spread to eliminate trans fats, a full decade before the FDA required products with trans fat be labeled.

Smart Balance Natural Peanut Butter is already made using only non-GMO ingredients and the company is evaluating opportunities to convert other products to non-GMO, including its mayonnaise dressing, cooking spray, and cooking oils.

The company has also introduced square packaging for their butter tubs, which not only save shelf space, they also free up refrigerated shelf and warehouse space - leading to an 18 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Boulder Brands products include Earth Balance, Evol, Glutino, Level, Smart Balance and Udi's.

Consumers have more power than they realize

CEO Stephen Hughes said that "consumer demand inspired the change." While many feel disappointed at GMO labeling laws that have failed to pass, we may be missing the obvious: perhaps state laws aren't the only option. Companies will only produce products that consumers will purchase. If people stop buying GMO products, there is no profit for big business. Call or e-mail food companies and advise them on why you will no longer be purchasing their GMO products. It's a hard decision for many to boycott their favorite products; it's also one of best ways to be sure that your voice is heard.

Learn more about GMOs
Pass the word on; educate yourself and those you love about the hazards of GMOs. You can learn more about GMOs at the Institute for Responsible Technology's website: http://www.responsibletechnology.org

Many of your favorite organic foods have been bought out by big business. Be sure that you are not unknowingly supporting companies that oppose GMO labeling. Click here to learn more:
http://www.naturalnews.com

Sources for this article include:

http://www.boulderbrands.com

http://www.denverpost.com

http://www.boulderbrands.com/our-brands/

About the author:
After sixteen years of struggling with MCS, Elisha McFarland recovered her health through alternative and natural healing methods. It was this experience that encouraged her to pursue an education in natural health. She has received the following designations: Doctor of Naturopathy, Master Herbalist, D.A. Hom., B.S. in Holistic Nutrition, Certified Wholistic Rejuvenist and EFT-ADV. You can visit her website at: http://www.myhealthmaven.com or follow her on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/myhealthmaven