Simply Balanced (Target)

Rating
Farm/Brand Headquarters	Minneapolis, MN
Products	Fluid milk
Website	http://www.target.com/c/simply-balanced-grocery-dvm/-/N-55md8
Market Area	Nationwide
Total Score	34

Store brands include organic milk that has been privately labeled by grocery chains. Typically, these businesses buy products wholesale and then market those finished or packaged products with their own labels.

The inherent problem with private labels is that they lack transparency. Store brands may get their milk from highly rated producers, but they may also source from factory-scale dairies. Grocery chains or distributors typically offer low prices for store brands because they source the cheapest products available on the market at any given time. This variability in product sourcing makes it difficult, sometimes impossible, for consumers to determine where and how the products was produced.

Cornucopia recommends caution with store brands like this one. Invested consumers can contact stores to confirm who is supplying their private-label milk and encourage them to be completely transparent about their sourcing—even when it changes.

Criteria	Points	Comment
TOTAL (possible score is 2700)	34	2-Cow Rating | Lacking Transparency
Ownership structure	2	No answer
Milk Supply	2	No answer
Organic Production	2	No answer
Disclosure of Information for Verification	2	No answer
Organic Certification	2	No answer
Other Labels/Standards	2	No answer
Grass-fed	2	No answer
Soy Free Ration?		No answer. Soy is likely used in feed.
Pasture	2	No answer
Times Milked	2	No answer
Cull/death Rate	2	No answer
Replacements	2	No answer
Calves	2	No answer
Antibiotic Use	2	No answer; animals given antibiotics may be introduced back into food stream after withdrawal times.
Hormone Usage	2	No answer; hormones may be used therapeutically
Farm Support	2	No answer
Procurement of Ingredients	2	No answer
Extra Credit	2	None