Trader Joe’s
| Rating |  |
| Company | Trader Joe's |
| Location | Monrovia, CA |
| Products | soymilk, tofu, others |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Web Site | www.traderjoes.com |
| Total Score | 385 |
Trader Joe’s is one of the few grocery store companies with private label soyfoods to participate in our project, but did not share sourcing information, so the soybeans used in their soymilk, tofu and other soyfoods could not be traced.
The fact that so many of the survey questions remained unanswered is indicative of an inherent problem with store-brand, or “private-label” products. Organic consumers are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from and how it was produced, but store brand products are anonymous in nature. Trader Joe’s does not itself manufacture these products and therefore has less control over the sourcing of the soybeans, the ingredients used, etc. than a brand name company that does its own sourcing and manufacturing.
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1000) | 385 | 2-Bean Rating |
Family-farmer owned businesses receive the most points, investor owned corporations the fewest.
Ownership Structure | 70 | Privately owned |
|
Reflects a company’s commitment to purchasing organic soybeans.
Percentage Organic Soybean Purchases | 60 | 20% organic, 80% Non-GMO (no GMOs) |
|
Companies committed to transparency receive the most points.
Disclosure of Information for Verification | 50 | Partial disclosure; no sourcing information |
|
Reflects the integrity of the company’s chosen organic certifying organization. Organic Certifier | 75 | QAI |
|
Companies selling only organic products receive the most points.
Organic Product Line | 60 | 10% organic, 10% made with organic, 80% non-GMO |
|
Companies that manufacture in-house receive the most points.
Manufacturing | 0 | copackers not identified |
|
Companies that purchase directly from farmers receive the most points; companies that buy through brokers selling imports receive the fewest.
Sourcing and Farmer Relationships | 0 | copackers not identified |
|
Companies that are committed to preventing GMO contamination receive the most points. Prevention of GMO Contamination | 70 | occasional testing on finished product |
|
Companies that do not add flavor or add only certified organic natural flavor receive the most points. Flavors | 0 | no answer |
|
Companies that do not use soy lecithin or that use certified organic soy lecithin receive the most points.
Soy Lecithin | 0 | no answer |
