I try to snack on whole foods, like fruit, but sometimes, I just get a craving for a chip!  Garden of Eatin’ may have been the first blue corn chips I ever tried.  It was such a novelty when I was in high school, and there were few health food stores in town.  Now you can buy organic blue corn chips at any supermarket.  In 20 years, blue corn is mainstream!

When health food was limited to a handful of small stores, so were the companies making the healthy snacks independent.  The problem with mainstream health food is it can be hard to tell what organic companies truly espouse organic values, like mandatory GMO labeling.  With larger companies buying  smaller natural food companies, it can be a murky situation.

We were sent a bag of [amazon_link id=”B001BM4QPQ” target=”_blank” ]Garden of Eatin’ Red Hot Blues Corn Tortilla Chips[/amazon_link].  They are too spicy for my son, but everyone else loves them!  Gluten-free, organic, non-GMO verified and perfect with avocado, this is a fun, spicy snack.

These chips are red, hot and blue! Crafted from organic blue corn, our famous Garden of Eatin’ Red Hot Blues Chips enjoy the added benefit of being sprinkled with a dash of cayenne pepper – for a snack that is not only intriguingly blue, but turns up the heat on your palate.

Garden of Eatin’ has been around since the 1970s.

In the early 1970s, Al let his spiritual side guide him to start his own health food company – Garden of Eatin’® with the launch of Bible Bread, organic whole wheat pita. Then in 1986, after he followed his natural health instincts and purchased tons of organic blue corn, Al decided to produce Blue Corn Chips. In keeping with his unorthodox approach, the chips were launched at a major fancy foods show and they took off! Since then, Garden of Eatin’® has introduced over 20 varieties of all natural tortilla chips, each of them true to Al’s inspiring outlook on life and healthy snacks.

Garden of Eatin’ has since been acquired by Hain Celestial Group.  Even though this natural food company is quite large, it appears to be holding true to organic values.  Simplify My Food Choices reports:

As a note, while Hain Celestial has acquired more brands than any other on this list, I have seen no evidence that they are organic-hostile, and in fact seem to solidly support organic initiatives. Because a large company is on this list, do not assume that it will damage or destroy a brand simply because it has acquired it. Aside from making no economic sense to do so, it could be very harmful to the parent company’s image. This list is offered so that you as a consumer can be aware of changes, watch out for any possible impact on the food you eat and the products you use, and so that you can make informed choices.

Since 2012, the company has supported GMO labeling initiatives.

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:  HAIN), a leading natural and organic products company providing consumers with A Healthier Way of Life™, today confirmed its support of increased transparency in the labeling of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).  Since 2010, the Company has participated in the Non-GMO Project™, a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building sources of non-GMO products, educating consumers and providing non-GMO choices.  In addition to over 2,000 certified organic products manufactured for distribution by the Company worldwide that do not contain GMO ingredients, 400 Hain Celestial products from over 10 brands have been enrolled in the verification process of the Non-GMO Project.

“As a leading natural and organic products company, 99% of our natural and certified organic food products are made from non-GMO ingredients, a standard we have met for some time,” said Irwin D. Simon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hain Celestial.  “Our ingredients, products, facilities and co-packers are routinely verified for GMOs, a tenet that differentiates us from the conventional consumer packaged goods companies.”

Previously in September 2012, the Company announced its endorsement of the mandatory labeling of food products containing GMOs in accordance with international standards, citing its long compliance with those requirements adopted in Europe and other international markets.

The Company supports the consumers’ right to choose and make informed purchase decisions.  Accordingly, Hain Celestial endorses initiatives by various advocacy groups and ballot petitions and measures that establish clear and appropriate parameters for compliance, communication and enforcement.

It’s nice to see a company that carries European standards over to their American products. This is not the case in many situations, like with Cheerios.

Happy guilt-free snacking with Hain Celestial!  Thank you Garden of Eatin’!

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