MINNEAPOLIS — Erythritol, cane sugar and high-oleic sunflower oil from Cargill all have received Non-GMO Project verification, the Minneapolis-based company said Oct. 6. Sunflower oils receiving verification include Clear Valley high-oleic sunflower oil, Clear Valley expeller-pressed high-oleic sunflower oil and IngreVita high-oleic sunflower oil.
“Consumer demand for non-G.M.O. food and beverages is growing, and Cargill is responding,” said Mike Wagner, managing director for Cargill Starches and Sweeteners North America. “We're delighted to work with the Non-GMO Project, the leading verifier of non-G.M.O. products in the United States. Their distinctive trademark is the most recognized symbol for non-G.M.O. products in the country.”
Annual sales of Non-GMO Project verified products have increased to $19 billion as of March 2016 from $348.8 million in 2010. More than 39,000 products have become Non-GMO Project verified.
“The Non-GMO Project's mission is to preserve and build sources of non-G.M.O. products, educate consumers, and provide verified non-G.M.O. choices," said Megan Westgate, executive director and founder of the Non-GMO Project, a non-profit organization based in Bellingham, Wash. “Achieving this mission requires participation by companies of all sizes, including supply chain leaders like Cargill that can provide large-scale availability of non-G.M.O. food ingredients.”