Futurelife GMO-free foods available within three months

FutureLife CEO, Paul Saad

The market for enhanced or functional foods and beverages continues to grow, in step with changing consumer health and wellness lifestyles. As an overall global trend in functional food and beverage consumption, consumers are navigating wellness with greater breadth and depth of knowledge and there is a keen focus on 'clean, real foods'.

Despite WHO report, some consumer remain unconvinced

The issue of GMO has sparked debate globally and in South Africa. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Food Safety Authority have approved the use of the genetically modified seeds that are grown in South Africa. Furthermore, according to WHO reports on food safety, GM foods currently available on the international market have passed risk assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health. However, there are consumers that believe the contrary.

"The debate regarding the merits of GM versus non-GM is a complex one and we do not profess to be experts in this area. However, we do stand by our customers and what they want out of our products," says Paul Saad, CEO of Futurelife.

"As we are a respected and credible health and lifestyle company, consumers hold us to a higher standard and we felt it important to satisfy our customers' needs. We are therefore fulfilling our pledge to go GMO Free, thereby offering our customers choice," says Saad.

As of 1 July 2013, products manufactured in its factory are being produced from GMO free raw materials. Two of the main raw materials in its products are maize and soya and, according to the company, there is no difference between the GM and GM free raw materials in terms of taste and nutritional content.

According to Saad, achieving GMO free status in South Africa is an enormously complex task, as the country is not set up for this. "In order to guarantee we are GMO free we need to ensure that a number of procedures are in place and tests are conducted regularly."

No price increase

Though non-GM raw materials are more expensive than their GM counterparts are, the company has taken the decision not to increase its prices.

As part the retail distribution process, it will be approximately three months before consumers will see the GMO free products on shelf, which will be clearly labelled.

The range currently consists of SmartFood, High Protein SmartFood, SmartFood for Kids and Crunch, which are available in most leading retailers including Pick n Pay, Woolworths, Dischem and Clicks.

For more information, go to www.futurelife.co.za/gmo