MOM’s Ingredient Standards Overview

 

Banned Ingredient List & Ingredient Watchlists:

Does the product contain any of the food ingredients and/or additives that are banned at MOM’s? Check out our full list of banned ingredients and wellness ingredient watchlists.

GMOs

When reviewing new items to possibly sell at MOM’s, the first thing we look at is ingredients. Our website has a full list of banned food ingredients that we won’t sell. Currently, the items listed below* are approved by the U.S. Government to be produced using GMOs.

  • Alfalfa
  • Canola
  • Corn
  • Cotton
  • Papaya
  • Potatoes
  • Soy
  • Sugar beets
  • Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash

Common ingredients derived from GMO risk crops include (but are not limited to): Amino Acids, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethanol, Natural Flavorings, Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Microbial Growth Media, Molasses, MSG, Sodium Ascorbate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins A, B6, B12, C & E, Yeast Products.

*Taken from The NON-GMO project website

If one of these ingredients is in a potential new product, and it is not certified organic, we ask the company to confirm it is not a GMO. If they cannot provide confirmation, MOM’s will not consider the product.

Palm Oil & Palm Oil Derivatives

The conventional palm oil industry results in widespread loss of rainforests, which contributes to climate change and pollution. Up to 15% of global carbon pollution comes from deforestation – more than the emissions produced from all the cars, buses, trains, and airplanes in the world. Palm can be sourced sustainably and MOM’s chooses to give preference to products that contain palm/palm derivatives certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm (RSPO) as “Identity Preserved”, “Segregated” and/or “Mass Balance”, or from companies that have internal fair labor and sustainability practices. RSPO member company products do not automatically qualify.

If the product contains palm/palm derivatives, please fill out our Palm Oil Supplier Agreement.

Fair Labor Chocolate

MOM’s will only sell chocolate bars and baking chocolates that are either third-party fair labor certified or have completed our Chocolate Supplier Agreement providing documentation of sourcing fair labor chocolate.

We only sell Sustainable Seafood

MOM’s is committed to only selling 100% Sustainable Seafood.  Our standards are formulated through the expertise provided by our partners at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. For Seafood items please provide the following information per SKU. This includes everything containing seafood, ranging from fish sauce in a frozen entrée to whole salmon fillets.

  • Species name
  • Country of origin or body of water
  • Farmed or wild caught
  • If wild-caught – what is the catch method? (i.e. dredge, purse seine, etc.)
  • Does your source change throughout the year?

Meat & Poultry

MOM’s places a priority on animal welfare and transparency, so we work hard to find Certified Organic options/offerings for our customers. Meat that is certified organic must adhere to strict standards that include non-GMO feed, access to the outdoors, and no hormones or antibiotics.

If a farm is not certified organic MOM’s requires an affidavit to ensure the animals are being raised in a manner consistent with our standards. At a minimum, our standards require access to the outdoors and no antibiotics or hormones. We also evaluate their feed, handling, and processing practices.

Our fresh beef, bison, pork, and lamb are raised fully outdoors in pasture and forest. They are primarily sourced from local farms that MOM’s partners with to support sustainable agriculture and small family businesses.

Eggs

MOM’s expects the following. Hens must be allowed access to a free-range outdoor environment (except in instances where the animal’s well-being is jeopardized), as well as adequate shelter to protect them from the elements and predation. Additionally, hens must be raised in a cage-free environment.

We do not allow GMO feed, withdrawal of feed to induce molting, the use of growth promoters, the use of animal by-products in feed, or debeaking.

The minimum space requirements for laying hens, both indoor and outdoor, must match or exceed those of current Certified Humane – A Project of Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) standards.

If eggs are not third-party certified humane or certified organic, MOM’s requires an affidavit to ensure our standards are met.

Dairy

Preference is given to certified organic products. At a minimum, products must be free of antibiotics or growth hormones. For the sake of transparency for our customers, we prefer that an antibiotic and hormone-free statement appears on retail packaging.

Beer & Wine

Preference is given to certified organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines and to wineries that use certified organic grapes. Wines from local wineries must be produced using grapes grown locally. MOM’s does not sell wine that has synthetic additives, colors, or preservatives, with the exception of sulfur.

MOM’s requires an affidavit when a wine does not have organic, biodynamic, or sustainable certification on the product label.

Shea Butter & Oil

If a product contains shea butter or shea derivatives, we require that those ingredients originate from a fair trade source.

Textiles

On May 20, 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (USDA’s NOP) issued a policy memorandum clarifying how organic fiber-containing products may be labeled. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) represents the only global partnership of guidelines designed to help regulate the entire “seed-to-shelf” process of textile manufacture and one that aims to bring clarity to what “organic” truly means when it comes to textile products.

All organic cotton clothing products sold in MOM’s stores must be certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The items must be properly labeled with the GOTS logo, license number, and label grade for full traceability purposes. When evaluating textile categories where no organic option currently exists, MOM’s will give preference to companies utilizing recycled, up-cycled, and fairly traded fiber materials in the production of their finished products.

We Don’t Sell Bottled Still Water

MOM’s banned bottled still water from our shelves in 2010 to reduce plastic waste in our waterways.

No Marketing to Children

We do not allow products to target children with licensed cartoon characters on the package.