Apparently Sustainable Granola

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Organic Monitor about sustainability as it can potentially affect the food and beverage industry (see “Talking Sustainability With Organic Monitor”). As Amarjit Sahota, the president of Organic Monitor, noted in the interview, part of this picture involves cultivating a sense of corporate social responsibility.

As a simple purchase of granola this week illustrated for me, the value of such initiatives can play an important part of product packaging (aside: I could easily alternate between granola and oatmeal every day for breakfast, both with a slice of hearty multigrain bread with peanut butter, lots of coffee; this granola features dark chocolate, coconut, flax seeds, and freeze-dried raspberries and strawberries). The granola, which my wife brought home from the store the other day, ties the product name into its social responsibility message, and also prominently relates its story on the back of the package (for every bag of granola purchased, the company is donating an equal amount of money to food banks, up to $1 million).

Another interesting point made on the package is a dig at “natural” foods (the granola is organic). To quote: “Unlike ‘natural’ label claims, certified organic products are guaranteed to be grown without chemical herbicides or pesticides, or synthetic preservatives and additives.” It also states its non-GMO pedigree, “And the Non-GMO project verification seal assures you that the food you’re buying is made in a kitchen—not in a lab.” Interesting bet, that last part: “…made in a kitchen…” I doubt that one…

Other notables on the bag that help communicate this product’s “story” (an ongoing approach to product diversification that will continue for years to come): a QR code (a quick scan from my iPad took me to a page promoting the entire line of granolas: a tropical blend, one modeled on carrot cake, and another modeled on an apple coffeecake concept), various social media and community links, etc.; the aforementioned Non-GMO Verified logo and a Whole Grains Council logo (14 grams per 30-gram serving); a notation of “Excellent Source of ALA Omega-3; use of the word “Premium” to describe the granola; among others. The package also has a window to allow a glimpse of cluster size, the red berries and chunks of dark chocolate.