|
RETAIL
OUTLETS
You may order some of our products by visiting the following companies:
To find a natural
food retail store in your area, click here
for a useful store search engine. Alternatively, if you wish to purchase
directly from Edward and Sons with a credit card, please click here.
BACK
TO TOP
VEGETARIANISM
Vegetarianism is a
philosophy and dietary choice that avoids the animal kingdom as a source
of nourishment. The reasons people choose to be/become vegetarians are
enormously varied, encompassing religious beliefs, ecological commitments,
compassion towards animals and personal health.
People describing themselves
as vegetarian come from all walks of life and can be found in every country
of the world. Edward & Sons is a vegetarian company, which means all
of our products are vegetarian. Although some self-described vegetarians
will eat chicken or fish, Edward & Sons products never contain either
of these. Vegans are vegetarians who do not eat any animal by-products such
as milk, cheese or honey. For a complete list of animal ingredients that
are not suitable in a vegan product, click here.
| Many
of Edward & Sons products are suitable for vegans, and we have
developed a vegan icon that we have begun affixing to the front of
the packaging of vegan-acceptable products. This "at-a-glance"
icon can be important not only to vegans. Many kosher, lactose-intolerant
and other consumers will also benefit from this tool. Since
this is a new tool of ours, some vegan-acceptable Edward & Sons
products do not yet sport this icon. Please be sure to read our ingredients
panels to determine if any product meets your needs. Our pioneering
use of a vegan icon has caught the attention of many manufacturers
and retailers. As a consumer service, we are making our icon available
to others who sign an agreement with us to abide by vegan guidelines.
Expect to see the vegan icon showing up in many places throughout
your favorite food store. |
 |
At the time of this writing,
all of our products are vegan with the following exception (because of dairy):
ORGANIC
|
The organic
agriculture movement has exploded in global awareness and growth
over the past decade. There are many reasons why we believe businesses
and consumers would be wise to insist upon certified organic products.
While we personally prefer to consume certified
organic foods, we would rather not engage in the debate about
whether organic foods are nutritionally superior to conventional
ones. Certain factions within industry and government would presently
like us to believe that residual pesticides and genetically modified
DNA, commonly found in conventional foods, are perfectly safe to
eat. If consumers wish to avoid those substances, selecting organic
foods is the surest way to do so.
The US Department
of Agriculture has established a standard for organic foods under
its National Organic Program (NOP). Edward & Sons is certified by
Quality Assurance International
(QAI) as an organic handler under this program.
|
 |
One thing that is
clear to most experts is the positive environmental impact of organic
farming. Organic farming is based upon fundamental natural laws and
rhythms and encourages the survival of diverse species. It builds the
soil and conserves water resources. To learn more, please click
here for 10 good reasons to choose organic.
BACK
TO TOP
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD
Edward &
Sons Trading Company, Inc. is alarmed over the proliferation of genetically
engineered (GE) food (previously known as "genetically modified
organisms" or "GMO"s) into the world's food supply. While
we have no direct knowledge that GE food is harmful to consume, we are
suspicious of the speed with which GE food has swept through the world's
supplies. We are especially concerned with the threat to non-GE crops
posed by wind drift and cross-pollenation from GE crops. Additionally,
certain GE crops have been designed to be resistant to broad range herbicides.
This promotes greater reliance on herbicides, thus endangering the biodiversity
that would be otherwise present on agricultural acreage. Lastly, we
are outraged that our FDA does not require consumer labeling of packaged
products or produce that knowingly rely upon genetically engineered
seeds or ingredients. We believe that consumers deserve to be able to
make their own choices regarding the suitability of GE foods in their
diets. This is especially important to those who are allergic to certain
foods, because GE food from one food group may possibly contain the
genetical material from another (potentially allergy causing) food group.
As suppliers of consumer
package products to the health conscious marketplace, Edward & Sons
Trading Company, Inc. faces many of the same challenges that our consumers
face in our effort to avoid GE ingredients. We cannot always be certain
that conventional ingredients supplied to us are non-GE. We have
informed all our suppliers that we desire to buy only non-GE products
from them and, therefore, instruct them to disclose any ingredients
that they know to contain genetically engineered components.
We stand ready to help them to source non-GE alternatives. Still, the
present U.S. regulatory climate does not allow us to be absolutely certain
that even these efforts are sufficient to ensure a consistent supply
of non-GE ingredients.
Edward & Sons
Trading Company, Inc. is active in worldwide natural and organic food
markets. We commonly source raw materials and finished products throughout
the globe. It is noteworthy that European countries have loudly denounced
trade practices which might infiltrate their food supplies with genetically
engineered organisms. We think that the USA and Canada would be wise
to similarly protect our food supplies.
Fortunately, the
worldwide organic agricultural movement has made clear its repudiation
of genetically engineered foods. Therefore, we conclude that third-party
certified organic products, especially those from European suppliers,
provide all of us with the highest degree of certainty that a product
is free of genetically engineered ingredients. Edward & Sons Trading
Company, Inc. offers many such products and urges consumers to opt for
organic choices when available.
BACK
TO TOP
LINKS
TO OTHER INFORMATIVE SITES
Below you will find
a number of informative links:
NEW PRODUCTS
Click here for an
up-to-date listing of our new products!
|
