Isabelle Z. – When Hormel, the food company famous for its processed meat products like Spam, bought America’s biggest natural and organic meat company, Applegate Farms, many health-conscious consumers were worried about the future direction of the brand. It turns out those worries were unfounded, however, as the brand has announced it is committed to removing all GMOs from its entire supply chain, from the finished product all the way down to animal feed.
It will also get third-party certification to put customers’ minds at ease. Applegate Farms already removed GMO ingredients from its products last year, but this move takes the sentiment one step further. This is an ambitious endeavor, given the fact that the majority of the country’s animal feed crops are genetically modified, with estimates showing that 88 percent of corn and 94 percent of soy in animal feed is genetically modified.
Applegate President Steve Lykken reminded consumers of his promise when Hormel took over that they would continue to break ground in the meat they offer, and this move is part of that effort.