Full Circle
| Rating |  |
| Company | Full Circle |
| Location | Skokie, IL |
| Products | soymilk |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Web Site | www.fullcirclefoods.com |
| Total Score | 115 |
Private label, or store-brand, companies in the one-bean category did not participate in the project, but through our research we were able to determine that at least some of the soybeans used in Full Circle organic soymilk are sourced from North American organic family farmers.
Organic consumers are often interested in knowing the story behind their food, where the food was grown and how it was processed, but store brand products are inherently anonymous. The store contracts with a manufacturer to produce the private label foods, and often the manufacturer relies on additional middlemen. Tracing the soybeans to the source is therefore often a difficult endeavor. Direct relationships between the brand and the organic farmers are nonexistent.
By virtue of the fact that these companies are operating in a secretive manner, consumers should be very dubious in terms of the quality and sourcing of their raw materials. If you are a loyal customer of these grocery chains, we would encourage you to contact the management and express your displeasure.
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1000) | 115 | 2-Bean Rating |
Family-farmer owned businesses receive the most points, investor owned corporations the fewest.
Ownership Structure | 0 | |
|
Reflects a company’s commitment to purchasing organic soybeans.
Percentage Organic Soybean Purchases | 0 | |
|
Companies committed to transparency receive the most points.
Disclosure of Information for Verification | 0 | no disclosure |
|
Reflects the integrity of the company’s chosen organic certifying organization. Organic Certifier | 0 | |
|
Companies selling only organic products receive the most points.
Organic Product Line | 0 | |
|
Companies that manufacture in-house receive the most points.
Manufacturing | 75 | Products are manufactured by copackers, at least one of which provided full disclosure |
|
Companies that purchase directly from farmers receive the most points; companies that buy through brokers selling imports receive the fewest.
Sourcing and Farmer Relationships | 40 | Our research indicates that the supplier uses North American-grown organic soybeans, but the supplier did not participate in the project |
|
Companies that are committed to preventing GMO contamination receive the most points. Prevention of GMO Contamination | 0 | |
|
Companies that do not add flavor or add only certified organic natural flavor receive the most points. Flavors | 0 | |
|
Companies that do not use soy lecithin or that use certified organic soy lecithin receive the most points.
Soy Lecithin | 0 |
