Target Introduces GMO-Free Food Line
Target has announced that they are rolling out a new food collection aimed at healthy eating. Forty percent of the line will be organic and perhaps more interestingly, all of the products will be GMO-free by 2014.
The Simply Balanced line that began appearing on store shelves in June 2013 contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, no trans fats, and “avoids high fructose corn syrup.” The company says that the line excludes more than 100 common food additives. Of the 250 products offered, 40 percent are organic and the company says the “vast majority” are GMO-free, pledging that the entire line will be GMO-free by 2014.
This would be a first for a store brand from a major retailer. Whole Foods recently pledged to have all their products containing GMOs labeled by 2018, and Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Aldi have pledged not to sell GMO salmon if it is approved by the FDA. But Target is the first to announce an entire line of branded products to be GMO-free.
According to the Target blog, “to further grow the range of organic options for folks focused on where their food comes from and how it’s produced, Target is setting a goal to increase organic food offerings by 25 percent by end of fiscal year 2017. With about 40 percent of its products certified organic, the introduction of Simply Balanced is an important step in this delicious direction.”
The products will range in price from $1 for bottled water to $14.99 for seafood. The company also notes that the new labels will highlight certain nutritional information on the front of the label to help consumers make more informed decisions.
“Organic blue corn flax tortilla chips, gluten-free pastas, wild caught Alaskan salmon, classic muesli cereal and cherry almond Greek yogurt granola bar,” are all part of the new line, according to the company blog.
The line will take the place of two of Target’s higher end house brands, Archer Farms Simply Balanced and Archer Farms Organics.
Photo Credit: A Bullseye View
