organic

State in India Goes 100% Organic, Protects 75,000 Hectares of Land from GMOs

As of the end of December, 2015, Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic state in the country. Implementing organic farming practices on 75,000 hectares of land, the citizens of Sikkim will enjoy GMO-free, sustainable agriculture which will be certified organic.

“We have achieved fully-organic status in the end of December. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally announce this at a sustainable agriculture conference in Gangtok on January 18,” said Sikkim Organic Mission’s executive director Dr. Anbalagan.

Panera Bread’s Soups Now Free of Artificial Colors, Preservatives, Sweeteners

Panera Bread announced recently that its entire soup menu is now free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives.
There are 10 regular soups on Panera’s menu, and it also offers seasonal specials like Turkey Chili and Autumn Squash. Some 200 million Panera soups are ladled out each year, accounting for about 25% of annual sales, or $672 million. About 66 million servings of the company’s highly popular broccoli cheddar soup are served every year.

Brazil Slaps Nestle, Pepsi, and Others for Hiding GMO Ingredients

Six major food manufacturers – including Nestle, PepsiCo, and Mexican baking company Grupo Bimbo – have been slapped with fines by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, which alleges the companies failed to include labels indicating the use of genetically modified ingredients.
The fines range from $277,400 to just over $1 million, for an estimated total of $3 million.

5 PepsiCo Products to Adopt the Non-GMO Project Label in a Few Months

Tropicana Pure Premium products and 4 other PepsiCo brands will soon bear the Non-GMO Project butterfly seal. The emblem will start appearing early next year.
PepsiCo has been one of the biggest opponents of state efforts to require labels on such foods, though now it seems the company is making extra effort to grapple the consumer market seeking organic and non-GMO foods.

PepsiCo to Release ‘Organic Gatorade,’ But What Does that Mean?

This might sound like an odd-sounded phrase: organic Gatorade. But it’s real, and it will soon be on store shelves.
The organic Gatorade, made by PepsiCo, was announced by company CEO Al Carey last Monday at Beverage Digest’s Future Smarts conference.

“It’s a consumer interest. I think they’re very interested in non-GMO and organic, and to the degree you can make it meaningful to the consumer – do it,” said Carey.

California Supreme Court Allows Lawsuits Over Falsely Labeled Organics

In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of California has made it clear that consumers have a right to file lawsuits if a company claims their products are organic, but do so falsely. The decision overturned a lower courts’ ruling that consumers could not file lawsuits of this nature based on federal law which “supersede a state’s legislation.”