With products labeled and marketed as organic, fresh, pesticide free, natural, gluten free, Whole Foods Markets (“Nothing Artificial, Ever”) present themselves as distinctive, trustworthy sources to customers seeking local, healthy and pure foods. Nonetheless, as Mike Adams of Natural News reports, “Whole Foods deceives consumers into unknowingly buying GMOs while financially supporting a GMO supply chain that ultimately enriches Monsanto.”
An “Organic Spies” video documents Whole Foods employees from twelve Los Angeles area stores explaining the company’s policies on products that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Some of those interviewed sound scripted, others just uninformed. The video openly accuses Whole Foods of “deceptive marketing” and says the company knowingly “trains employees to tell customers that they do not sell any GMO food.” According to Organic Spies, approximately 20-30% of Whole Foods products contain GMOs.
Mike Adams of Natural News reports disturbing connections between Whole Foods and Monsanto, and he notes that Whole Foods did not donate to support California’s Proposition 37, which would have required labeling all foods with GMO ingredients.
Sources
Mike Adams, “Whole Foods knowingly engages in massive GMO deception, says undercover video by ‘Organic Spies,’ ”NaturalNews, September 26, 2012, http://www.naturalnews.com/037329_Whole_Foods_GMO_undercover_video.html
Mike Adams, “Whole Foods caught in GMO marketing deception, false advertising – here’s the proof,” Natural News, October 8, 2012, http://www.naturalnews.com/037467_Whole_Foods_Marketing_Fraud_GMO.html
Student Researcher: Kim Southwell (College of Marin)
Faculty Evaluator: Susan Rahman (College of Marin)