At the beginning of the year, I reported that Whole Foods had stopped selling Chobani yogurt over a spat the grocery store had with the Greek yogurt brand’s use of milk from animals eating genetically modified feed.
The spat went a little like this: Whole Foods only wanted to sell organic or non-GMO Greek yogurt. Chobani produces all of its Greek yogurt with milk from conventionally raised cows. Those cows were eating genetically engineered feed. Whole Foods seems to be under the impression that animal byproducts from an animal that has eaten GMO feed is also GMO. (Yes, under that same logic you and me and anyone that has ever eaten GMO food is now a GMO.) Whole Foods asked Chobani to source its product elsewhere so it was GMO-free. Chobani refused.
Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder of Chobani, stated that he wasn’t interested in sourcing GMO-free milk for his yogurt, because the price would be through the roof. He would rather sell nutritious food to everyone over selling the same product with pricier ingredients to fewer people.
But why?
Chobani may be on the brink of becoming a publicly traded company. It turns out the company is expanding its products beyond yogurt cups at the grocery store, including “yogurt bars” where customers can physically go into a Chobani location to purchase and eat their products. The brand wants to look good to potential investors and it wants the sale of shares to go really, really well. After falling out with Whole Foods, Chobani needs to pad its image a little bit. Healthy food is trendy and if the masses have been duped into thinking GMOs are bad, then Chobani wants to get some distance before it starts selling.
That doesn’t make the situation any less disappointing, but taking certain positions on controversial issues is nothing new, especially when money is involved. So, for now, Chobani has to act like it wants to partner with Green America and look for non-GMO dairy products. With any luck, this scheme by Chobani will end as simply a marketing gimmick. Otherwise, your yogurt is going to get a whole lot more expensive.
Or I am going to boycott Chobani (along with Whole (Paycheck) Foods.
Lord forbid that we eat food untampered with, food that we know that does not hurt our bodies and cause cancer and other heinous illnesses. How often you Monsanto Beneficiaries forget. HE is always watching and HE will not take kindly to the adulteration of the food HE blessed upon us with. How quickly people forget that it is not in the nature of OUR LORD to be forgiving.
Say NO to GMO and maybe, just maybe, HE will allow you to repent for your crimes against your species and ALL the other Plant/Animal species that have been adulterated.
HE blessed us with genetics to find CURES for ours and other species’s, NOT CAUSE THEM.
May The LORD bless Chobani for taking a step in the right direction and opening HIS arms in forgiveness to all the people that work there.
As a Christian myself, I cannot fathom how you came to such a warped and twisted interpretation of theology. Certainly, your doctrine is not supported by the Bible. God gave human beings knowledge and the ability to research, study, and grow our understanding of our natural world. If anything, biotechnology allows us to promote the ideals of Christ – by increasing yields we’re able to feed more people at a lower cost (care for and feed the poor), we reduce our use of pesticides and lower our carbon footprint to care for the Earth (stewards of the Earth), and new traits are giving us the ability to help people (care for people). The sin would be in not using the gifts God has given us.
This is for Gina…THANK GOD we are of a like mind. I totally 100 percent agree with every word you have said here. They are tampering with all food and resources GOD has given us here on earth and I dont think there is any pure food anymore anywhere. It says end of days shall be like in the days of Noah GENETICALLY TAMPERING WITH GOD’S CREATIONS!
Humans have been genetically modifying plants for thousands of years. What does “pure” food even mean?!
Oh really? Please show us some proof from 2,000 years ago where humans were genetically modifying food so it can take an extra healthy dose of Roundup? You can’t because there isn’t.
Do you even know why people oppose GMO’s? It isn’t just the fact that the seed has been modified in a lab.
I don’t think you understand how Round-Up works, which essentially is the real problem and the reason people oppose GMOs – they don’t understand how it all works.
I’m trying to figure out how getting Chobani to use non-GMO milk has become a Christian issue. Good grief, what’s the matter with you people? This is an issue of human well being, not religious intent. How about directing your energies at something more productive? And by the way, GMO foods have NOT been around for “thousands of years”. The first genetically modified plant was produced in 1983, using antibiotic-resistant tobacco. In 1994, the transgenic Flavr Savr tomato was approved by the FDA for marketing in the US. The modification allowed the tomato to delay ripening after picking and it all went on from there.
Thank you Linda ,
Thank you Linda
I read this dialog with interest when a few friends were discussing Chobani and the health value of yogurt, which we eat quite a bit of regularly for breakfasts. Some of the dialog was surprising because it developed into a polemic between a Christian viewpoint based on naturalism and scientific modification of food. Both positions have their merit. I enjoy eating whole natural foods as much as possible and try to avoid additives which have a way of eventually being proven to be harmful. However, I like to purchase affordable items and realize that farmers are under pressure to produce foodstuffs while being able to make a decent living (which necessitates some profitability). I encourage a balanced approach.
Maybe I’m reading your comment wrong but are you suggesting that farmers add harmful additives to their products as a way to be more profitable? If so, what exactly do you think we are adding?
Please watch the Seeds of Death documentary on you tube to learn more about GMO’s. They are untested & hazardous.. but not enough people realize the truth.
That movie is nothing more than a propaganda film. I suggest you start by debunking the myths you’ve been told by reading this: http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Seeds_of_Death
Hi Amanda, absolutely NOT! I am not suggesting that anyone add harmful additives to make more profit. Your question “what exactly do you think we are adding” is not fair and reasonable to anyone who does not have a knowledge of biochemistry and human physiology. Essentially I am taking a stance that sees both sides of this issue. Among other things, I am a Naturopath which means I use and encourage others to use natural foods and supplements while limiting other additives and drugs as well as genetic modification. In addition, there are Biblical injunctions relative to foods that many people recognize in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. However, I am also a consumer and I do eat products that have additives I am personally unfamiliar with. Read my post again. It balances both sides. This is not a one side is for everyone issue.
Just checking. 🙂
Even as a believer, I’m not at all convinced that natural = better. Nature doesn’t really care if you survive or prosper. And nature produces a lot of nasty things that can harm you, like arsenic.
I appreciate your comments though.