In 2009, the Park Slope Food Coop stopped selling the 1/2 gallon size Soymilk. I was like, WTF? I still decided to drink it, even though it may have killed me. In fact, I did many other things that may have killed me. But since the Coop’s decision to stop selling this stuff, I’ve seriously cut down on my Silk ways since discovering just how bad the Silk Brand is. And I thought other people should know too.
The Food Coop’s reasons were simple – or as simple as the Food Coop can be (I copied the text below directly from the Coop’s blog [link])
1. In January 2009, Silk – whose soy products were formerly 100% organic — reformulated their product line by converting almost all their products to conventional soybeans. They did this quietly, without telling retailers or changing the UPC code numbers on the products. Many retailers, including the Coop, didn’t find out about the change until consumers noticed and complained. The non-organic soymilks are labeled “Natural.” When we questioned Silk representatives about the change, we were told “there is a shortage of organic soybeans in North America.” However, it has been argued that Dean Foods (which owns Silk) “helped create these shortages by opting for cheaper organic imports instead of supporting domestic farmers with sustainable prices.1” (For the full report, please read the Cornucopia Institute’s Soy Report & Scorecard)
2. Silk does not guarantee that all of their soybeans are free from GMO contamination. Organic Valley’s organic soybeans are ‘Identity Preserved‘ – meaning each batch is tested to ensure there is no GMO contamination.
3. Silk is unwilling to share their sourcing information with consumers. Dean Foods “refused to transparently participate in the [Cornucopia Institute’s] study—depriving their customers of an independently verified review of their practices.” This stands in contrast to many other prominent soy food brands around the country that are fully transparent In their sourcing and production practices.
4. Silk brand is owned by Dean Foods - an agribusiness giant that owns over 50 milk labels around the country including Horizon Organic, a brand that heavily depends on factory farms each milking thousands of cows. Organic Valley is owned by CROPP Cooperative, a cooperative of organic family farmers. The Coop supports other cooperatives, wherever possible, and we try also to avoid companies that source from factory farms.
So – dear readers – do you do anything that might someday kill you? Have you been able to kick your Silk Soymilk habit? I’d love to know how you’re able to resist the smooth silky soymilk that goes oh so well with frozen strawberries and peanut butter sandwiches. I’m still struggling.
RELATED LINKS
- Download the report by the Cornucopia Institute
- Read the Coop’s statement
- Read this Village Voice Article about how Veggie Burger can kill you
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