Trader Joe’s is one of the few grocery store companies with private label soyfoods to participate in our project, but did not share sourcing information, so the soybeans used in their soymilk, tofu and other soyfoods could not be traced.

The fact that so many of the survey questions remained unanswered is indicative of an inherent problem with store-brand, or “private-label,” products. Organic consumers are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from and how it was produced, but store brand products are anonymous in nature. The company – in this case, Trader Joe’s – does not itself manufacture these products and therefore has less control over the sourcing of the soybeans, the ingredients used, etc. than a brand name company that does its own sourcing and manufacturing.