LifeSource Natural Foods, Salem, OR

2649 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Oregon 97302

Website: http://www.lifesourcenaturalfoods.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeSourceNaturalFoods

Owner: Alex Beame

General Manager:

Founded in: 1994

Organic Sales: 48% of overall store sales in 2012 were certified organic products. Lifesource has a goal of increasing this percentage in 2013 by 5% (This information was provided as an update by LifeSource staff). Produce sales are 99% organic, 1% wildcrafted or locally grown unsprayed.

Annual Sales: $2.5-$10 million/yr

GMO Practices

Manufacturer Communication

LifeSource evaluates every product using a strict set of guidelines designed to ensure that the store carries only the healthiest and least processed products available, and that those products have traveled the least distance before arriving at the store.Products are evaluated on the basis of organic content, ingredients, production methods, social responsibility and how local the product is. The store has instituted a moratorium on new products that might contain GMO ingredients. If a manufacturer can prove that its ingredients are clean, the store will carry its products. Lifesource hopes that this policy will encourage producers to carefully source their ingredients, and to test and certify their products as GMO-free. The store has successfully worked with several manufacturers to remove suspect ingredients from their products.

Product Removal Process

Not all of the products carried by LifeSource are GMO-free. Some GMO products have been grandfathered in. The store hopes that over time, most manufacturers will choose to substitute GMO ingredients for non-GMO alternatives and have their products certified GMO-free. As manufacturers make these changes, LifeSource will discontinue products with questionable ingredients and replace them with products known to be GMO-free.

Labeling

LifeSource is a Non-GMO Project Participating Retailer. LifeSource donated $1,000 to support Prop 37.