Kingsville, ON (Feb 1/2010) With consumer interest continuing to mount with regards to genetic modificationof fruits and vegetables, Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET recently received their Certificate of Compliance for the Non-GMO Project Verification Program. The Non-GMOProject is a standardized program that is based on third-party verification forproducts following best practices for GMO avoidance. The program has beeninitiated by the North American organic and natural products industry forcompanies who want to offer their customers a verified Non-GMO choice.
We strictlyrely upon natural plant breeding and Mother Nature to develop our many productvarieties. We are proud to only offer vegetable and fruit products thatcome from non-genetically modified sources, stated Joseph R. Darden, Ph.D.Vice-President, Food Safety. All Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET products arestarted from seed stock that is not genetically modified. Mastronardidoes not work with suppliers that use microbiological or biochemical processesto alter the genetic expression of any part of the plant or the foods that they produce;.
Nationalpolls consistently show that a significant majority of North Americans wouldlike to be able to tell if the food they are purchasing contains GMOs (a 2008CBS News Poll found that 87% of consumers wanted GMOs labeled). According to arecent CBS/New York Times poll, 53% of consumers said they would not buy foodthat has been genetically modified. The Non-GMO Projects seal for verifiedproducts will, for the first time, give the public an opportunity to make aninformed choice when it comes to GMOs.
MastronardiProduce/SUNSET will be releasing new packaging and labels later this year thatwill display the Non-GMO seal. This seal means that products have been producedaccording to rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance, including all requiredtesting. We are proud of the fact that our gourmet greenhouse produce is now verifiedNon-GMO, commented Paul Mastronardi, President. All of our products are fromplant hybrids that reproduce the old-fashioned way by natural plantbreeding, concluded Mastronardi.
Source: Mastronardi Produce/Sunset
