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Kingsville, ON (Feb 1/2010) – With consumer interest continuing to mount with regards to genetic modification of fruits and vegetables, Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET® recently received their Certificate of Compliance for the Non-GMO Project Verification Program. The Non-GMO Project is a standardized program that is based on third-party verification for products following best practices for GMO avoidance. The program has been initiated by the North American organic and natural products industry for companies who want to offer their customers a verified Non-GMO choice.
“We strictly rely upon natural plant breeding and Mother Nature to develop our many product varieties. We are proud to only offer vegetable and fruit products that come from non-genetically modified sources,” stated Joseph R. Darden, Ph.D. Vice-President, Food Safety. All Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET® products are started from seed stock that is not genetically modified. Mastronardi does not work with suppliers that use microbiological or biochemical processes to alter the genetic expression of any part of the plant or the foods that they produce.
National polls consistently show that a significant majority of North Americans would like to be able to tell if the food they are purchasing contains GMO’s (a 2008 CBS News Poll found that 87% of consumers wanted GMOs labeled). According to a recent CBS/New York Times poll, 53% of consumers said they would not buy food that has been genetically modified. The Non-GMO Project’s seal for verified products will, for the first time, give the public an opportunity to make an informed choice when it comes to GMO’s.
Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET® will be releasing new packaging and labels later this year that will display the Non-GMO seal. This seal means that products have been produced according to rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance, including all required testing. “We are proud of the fact that our gourmet greenhouse produce is now verified Non-GMO,” commented Paul Mastronardi, President. “All of our products are from plant hybrids that reproduce the old-fashioned way – by natural plant breeding”, concluded Mastronardi.
For more information regarding the Non-GMO project, please visit www.nongmoproject.org
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