While helping out on the customer service team for Wild Oats, I found the inquiries and feedback from customers incredibly educational. I continue to be surprised, though, on the steady flow of calls asking if Wild Oats Certified Organic Products are also Non GMO.

Those calls remind me that I am often too close to the trees to see the forest.

The simple answer is, “Yes, our organic products are Non GMO because they are organic.” But the lingering confusion requires a deeper explanation.

One of the basic provisions in the organic regulations is a category entitled, “Excluded Methods.” This is what it says:  methods that cannot be used in organic production. This definition includes “methods used to genetically modify organisms or influence their growth and development by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes and are not considered compatible with organic production.”

Other sections of the regulation provide more specific details. For example, organic farmers are not only prohibited from using GMO seeds, they must also use certified organic seeds if those seeds are available. The certified organic feed that is a requirement for organic livestock producers means that cows, chickens and other animals can never nibble one bite of GMO corn, soy or alfalfa. Additionally, those animals can never be administered growth hormones or antibiotics.

And, the organic regulations require periodic testing of crops to make sure that producers are complying with those rules.

Yes, organic means Non GMO. In fact, organic means Non GMO, and much more.

As we build the future of Wild Oats, we will continue to use customer feedback and concerns to drive our line of affordable organics in the right direction. Thanks so much for all your thoughtful comments and support!