As Concerns About Food Safety and Genetic Engineering Intensify, HimalaSalt Becomes Non-GMO Certified

Great Barrington, MA, October 12, 2011 --(PR.com)-- This October, HimalaSalt is participating with nearly 1,000 natural food stores across the U.S. and Canada that are taking part in Non-GMO Month, celebrating the public’s right to choose food and products that do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Organized by the non-profit Non-GMO Project, Non-GMO Month provides a platform for citizens and organizations to stand up for the right to know what’s in their food, and to choose non-GMO. HimalaSalt by Sustainable Sourcing, llc is sponsoring dozens of Non-GMO Month events are scheduled throughout October, including a historic Rigth2Know March from NYC to DC, and a mom’s panel focusing on protecting children from GMOs.

Melissa Kushi, founder, believes that it’s a basic human right to know what’s in our food. Standing firmly against GMOs, or "genetically modified organisms,” Kushi explains, these are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses and other animals and plants. These experimental combinations of genes cross the natural species barrier and have not been proven safe. Studies increasingly show a connection between GMOs and an array of health risks and environmental concerns. While GMOs are labeled or banned in most developed countries, in the U.S. and Canada they are unlabeled and are found in nearly a whopping 80% of processed food.

With U.S. consumer confidence shaken by ongoing food safety failures, Kushi is pleased to see that the distrust of GMOs is growing. As a result, consumers are increasingly seeking non-GMO choices, and Nielsen reported last February that “GMO-free” is currently one of the fastest growing store brand label claims. In the natural sector, SPINS reports that “Non-GMO Project Verified” is growing faster than any other product claim they track, with at least $250mm in marketplace sales.

Speaker, author and children’s health advocate Robyn O’Brien says, "As a mother of children with food allergies, it concerns me that there are currently no definitive tests that can be relied upon to predict whether the novel proteins in genetically engineered foods might trigger an allergic reaction. We have the right to know what we're feeding our families, and the Non-GMO Project Verified label makes it possible to keep GMO foods out of our kids' lunch boxes."

Throughout October, shoppers will be able to find HimalaSalt and other Non-GMO Project Verified choices featured at nearly 1,000 Non-GMO Month registered retail stores. On the Non-GMO Month website, people can search the events calendar, find retailers, and enter a Non-GMO Month Daily Giveaway contest.

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Additional information is available in the Non-GMO Project Press Room and at www.nongmomonth.org, and at www.himalasalt.com. Information can also be obtained from Debra Hofland at Libra Design and Media, dhofland@libradesignandmedia.com.