GrandyOats Launches Gluten-free Line
GrandyOats, a Maine maker of organic cereals and snacks, is launching a line of certified gluten-free products from its dedicated gluten-free production area in its new 100 percent solar powered headquarters in Hiram, Maine. This spring, GrandyOats will launch its certified gluten-free line starting with 12 skus of bulk trail mixes and nuts followed by two packaged products. GrandyOats expects to launch more certified gluten-free products later in the year.
Specifically, GrandyOats trail mixes and roasted nuts including High Antioxidant Trail Mix, Garlic Herb Cashews, Maple Roasted Cashews, and Nori Sesame Cashews, will all be certified gluten-free. GrandyOats granola will be next to go gluten-free, with its popular Coconut + Fruit Granola earning the designation shortly thereafter, followed by organic oatmeal and other products.
“Gluten-free will be a strong focus for us throughout 2016 and into 2017,” said Aaron Anker, Chief Granola Officer, GrandyOats. “Our customers have been asking us for organic, certified gluten-free granola and snacks, and in our new designated gluten-free space we are happy we can deliver.”
Consumers are choosing gluten-free products for many reasons, including disease, sensitivity, allergy, and other health concerns. In addition, gluten-free consumers are seeking additional benefits, such as organic and GMO-free, that go beyond gluten-free. Value-added propositions including current low-sugar and savory culinary trends, factor in highly as well. Improving the quality and selection of gluten-free foods available in mainstream channels will help sales in the category grow nearly 1.5 times through 2019, according to market analysis by Packaged Facts.
Like all GrandyOats cereals and snacks, the new gluten-free products are certified organic, non-GMO, and made by hand in small batches by the GrandyOats family in their 100 percent solar powered bakery in rural Maine.
Organic Granola has long been the keystone product of the GrandyOats bakery. GrandyOats Coconut + Fruit Granola is a savory-sweet, organic granola with a hearty blend of organic oats, rich coconut flakes, fruit juice-sweetened dried cranberries, plump raisins, wild flower honey, coriander and sea salt. GrandyOats Coconut + Fruit Granola will be gluten-free in both bulk and packaged offerings.
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In November 2015, GrandyOats became the first net zero food production facility on the East Coast by constructing a state-of-the-art, 100 percent solar powered facility in rural Maine. The GrandyOats solar electric system will produce on average 95,622 kWh of clean, renewable electricity annually. It will offset over 145,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year, or the amount of miles equivalent to driving from Maine to San Francisco and back 25 times.
GrandyOats achieved 28 percent growth in 2015 producing 1.2 million pounds of organic granola, trail mix and roasted nuts and generating 5.3 million in sales. Also in 2015, GrandyOats expanded its food service presence in higher education cafeterias as the first independent, organic brand to be served at more than 75 colleges and universities from University of Maine at Orono to The State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo. With the gluten-free product line, they hope to reach even more “real granolas.”
“We’ve been fortunate enough to grow slowly but steadily, while still making our products by hand in small batches in rural Maine,” continued Anker.
Consistent with its commitment to being net zero, GrandyOats will have a 100 percent solar-powered booth at Natural Products ExpoWest Conference in Anaheim, CA at booth #3313.
Certified organic by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and certified kosher, GrandyOats never uses products that contain antibiotics, synthetic hormones, toxic pesticides or GMOs. A wide range of GrandyOats organic cereals and snacks in a variety of sizes are available nationwide in natural food stores, food cooperatives, major grocery chains and online at www.grandyoats.com.
Genetic ID and CERT ID Offer Gluten Free Verification Program
Genetic ID NA, Inc., in conjunction with CERT ID, announce the addition of gluten-free verification services to their portfolio of food safety and food quality testing and certification services. Gluten-free is one of the fastest-growing categories in the food and beverage market.
The gluten-free verification services are based on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) final ruling on the use of a gluten-free claim and are intended for products sold in North America. Services are risk-based and supported by a validated sampling and testing regimen. “We continue to identify value-added opportunities for our customers, and this program was specifically designed to provide the flexibility that the market demands,” said Dr. Heather Secrist, CEO of Genetic ID. “Companies can choose an individual service, such as testing, or adopt a comprehensive gluten-free certification and testing program where the CERT ID Gluten-free Trustmark can be applied to a product.”
“Our Gluten-free Product Certification Program is designed as an addendum to recognized system certifications such as organic, Non-GMO Project, and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), said Rhonda Wellik, CEO of CERT ID. “This effectively allows companies to realize efficiencies and cost-savings when seeking product certification.”
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The gluten-free verification services provide a third-party approach regarding label claims, and communicate a company’s commitment to producing safe, gluten-free products for consumers. The new services included in the Gluten-free Certification Program incorporate the rigor and reliability that Genetic ID and CERT ID’s customers have come to rely on.
For more information about Genetic ID and CERT ID, visit www.genetic-id.com and www.cert-id.com.
Profit Not the Only Motive for B Corporations
By Greg Gonzales
One of several antagonists in the 1995 comedy “Tommy Boy,” Ray Zalinsky, goes from trusted face to villain in one telling line: “Truth is, I make car parts for the American working man because I’m a hell of a salesman and he doesn’t know any better.” B Corporations are the antithesis to that attitude. The certification is a stamp of approval for companies that pass rigorous standards of environmental impact, social missions, corporate transparency and employee satisfaction.
“If you’re not measuring impact in business, you’re already behind,” said Katie Holcomb, B Lab’s Director of Communications. “It’s become a more mainstream idea, and we’ve been painted as the next big thing.”
Since 2006, more than 1500 businesses in 22 countries have been certified as B Corporations by B Lab, which certifies each and every B Corp. B Lab’s community sees business as a force for good, and the future of business, said Holcomb. She also said the approval process is simple, but thorough.
The B Corp qualification process begins with a 150-question assessment. A passing score is 80 out of 200, and companies can work to improve the score, which is listed online. B Lab estimates that the questionnaire takes 90 minutes to complete, though some B Corp members joked that it’s closer to 90 hours.
“You really have to prove what you’re saying,” said Dana Ginsberg, Director of Marketing at Bare Snacks, a B Corp since 2013. She added that the assessment is rigorous and detailed, and that qualifying companies must back up their statements with documentation. It’s essentially an audit that proves the company’s claims are legit, and that there’s nothing to hide. There’s also a phone interview that applicants must complete.
Prospective B Corps must also prove that they take care of employees. Ethical Bean‘s Sales and Marketing person, Lauren Archibald, has worked for two B Corps, and said she considers B Lab as much a resource for companies as for job seekers. “When you’re coming in to work for a B Corp, you know they treat their employees well,” she said.
She also added that it’s about respecting customers, employees and the public, and being honest. “If people are asking questions and you can’t answer them, you probably have something to hide,” she said. “B Corp status opens you up, keeps you transparent and aligns your values.”
In addition to the rigorous certification process, companies commit to their cause by amending corporate bylaws to include social and environmental missions. That is, B Corps choose to make themselves legally beholden to work toward missions other than profit. And in states where Public Benefit Corporations (PBCs) can incorporate, B Corps must make the switch from corporate structures like Limited Liability or C Corporation within two years of certification. Companies in states and countries where PBCs cannot yet incorporate must make the switch within four years from the time legislation does pass. In doing so, B Corps become equally bound to shareholders, employees, social good and environmental impact, not just the former.
“We were able to integrate all the elements of our mission into our articles of incorporation,” said Mathieu Senard, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Alter Eco, a B Corp since 2009. “Legally binding, our product has to be organic and non-GMO.” He added that Alter Eco made the switch as soon as the possibly could, in 2013, right when the company’s home state of Delaware passed the legislation.
There’s also an annual fee, and companies must requalify every year. The cost is $5000 a year for companies making less than $20 million in annual sales, while companies that make more than $20 million pay $10,000. Members of what’s lovingly referred to as the “B Community” say the benefits are well worth the costs.
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“This model works! It’s showing businesses that they can do good for people and the planet and also be comfortable and keep a healthy business,” said Senard. “It’s a way to show your impact and your mission, too. It’s one thing when you talk about your company and say you’re doing all these great things, but it’s more powerful when a third party certifies you and tells the whole world what you’re doing.” Companies can also add the B Corp seal to their websites and packaging to let everyone know they’re part of the B Community.
“Once you become a B Corp, you work with other B Corps,” said Ginsberg. She added that becoming a B Corp comes with a few discounts and a large number of important contacts. They can learn from each others’ example, or work with B Lab to improve.
B Lab’s online system enables businesses to increase their score year round. “You can modify and update that score anytime you want,” said Ginsberg. “It’s a free-flowing process that helps you track where you are and to get to higher standards. You can change your policies, recycle a different way, put in a greener refrigerator.”
And that’s one of the ways Bare Snacks improved upon its own score. The company asked employees what mattered to them, which included axing the break room paper plates and cups, getting an efficient refrigerator and replacing plastic water bottles with a faucet filter. In addition, the company raised its score by updating some of its HR policies. The result, said Ginsberg, was very positive employee response.
Alter Eco‘s score increased from 125 to 148 last year, and Senard attributes that improvement to the company’s acting on suggestions from B Lab. “What B Corp has helped us to do is put the spotlight on areas where we can improve,” he said. “B Lab didn’t force us to do it — we just saw we can be better, and we want to be better for our employees, too.”
Ginsberg said many food producers have been leaders in this movement. “It’s really going to help differentiate your brand for consumers,” she said. “People are getting more skeptical about the products they buy, and really want to support positive brands because, nowadays, on social media, people see brands they support reflecting their identities. They want their identity to align with their values, which is what B Corps are all about.”
Even though B Corp certification does appear advantageous to brands, Senard and other B Corp owners specifically pointed out that it’s hard to quantify the benefits. Ultimately, they said, it’s about making a better business and working toward a brighter future.
“Consumers care about the products they buy and how they were developed, how those companies produce and operate,” Ginsberg said. “Further, employees care about the companies they work for, and they want their employers to do that as well. I see this trend continuing to grow.”
“I hope we’re going to be a model for other companies to become that,” said Senard. “We hope to inspire the entrepreneurs of the future to start their companies like that, from day one, where the company has a mission to bring some good into this world.”
Interested parties can head to bcorporation.net to put their business to the test.
