QUEBEC—Cranberry and blueberry grower and processor Fruit d’Or recently received non-GMO verification from the Non-GMO Project.
Fruit d’Or said that both its conventional cranberry, Cran d’Or, and its organic cranberry, Cran Naturelle, are processed with ingredients of non-GMO and non-irradiated origins . The company also said it doesn’t use ETO ethylene oxide to sterilize any of the equipment used to process the cranberries.
"At this point, retailers and consumers expect supplements containing ingredients of natural origin to be totally non-GMO because the idea of synthetic cultivated foods is of real concern because people do not know how such foods will affect their long-term health and well-being," said Stephen Lukawski, vice president of business and development, sales and marketing.
Lukawski added that Fruit d'Or Nutraceuticals has invested significant resources in quality assurance, research and processes to achieve the goal of value differentiation based on quality standardization.
"Standardizing quality from seeding through to retail assures safety and efficacy not only for the industry but for consumers," he said.
Earlier this year, Fruit d’Or launched a line of cranberry pills without lubricants, additives or other fillers.