Must Read: Market Spin

I recently wrote to Kashi foods, inquiring as to whether they use any GMO ingredients. The following is their reply (with my comments in brackets).

Thank you for contacting us about our products and the use of genetically modified organisms. At Kashi Company we believe in providing pure, minimally processed foods for our consumers. [My definition of pure means we do not mess with mother nature.]

The basis for our product line is our proprietary blend of Seven Whole Grains & Sesame. The whole grains include oats, long grain brown rice, hard redwinter wheat, rye, buckwheat, barley, and triticale. None of these grains that are commonly harvested using genetically modified organisms. [Their products contain soy, a crop that is notoriously known for being GM. I find it rather insulting that they instead focused on the basis for their line.] We do not voluntarily source ingredients that are genetically modified. [So then they don't check the SOURCE of their ingredients. Is it just me, or is this disturbing?] Due to the potential for cross-contamination, cross-pollination and other factors outside of our control, we can not 100% guarantee that our non-organic line of products are GMO free. [Outside of their control? How about getting ingredients from Organic Farmers who do not use GMO ingredients?]

To learn more about our Organic Promise™ products please click on the following link:
http://www.kashi.com/products/organic_promise_cereal_autumn_wheat

We wish you the best with your health and wellness goals and appreciate the time you took to communicate with us.

In other words, blah blah blah gibberish gibberish gibberish marketing spin marketing spin marketing spin. It would have been much more appreciated by yours truly if I had been told this instead: We don't check all of our product sources. We choose not to buy from non-GMO sources. We use soy, which is largely GM'd. So odds are, you've been eating GM ingredients as a result of using our products.