Cascadian Farms Corporate Response to Questions About 'Natural Flavor' Ingredient in Their Products

Yesterday I was about to post a blog about Cascadian Farm almond butter crunchy granola bars and I wanted to get a little more information about the 'natural flavor' in the ingredient list.

I called the 1-800 number listed on the packaging and was lucky enough to get someone who was fabulous at what they do, Brent Taylor.  One of the first things he told me was that Cascadian Farm works with FAAN and uses FAAN's standards when labeling products.  This means that, if, by chance, there were any of the top 8 allergens or SESAME in this or any of their products, even in the 'natural flavor', it would be stated on any of the packaging coming from their company.

Within MINUTES of our call, he sent me the following Corporate Response:

• Dear Ms. Knell:

Thank you for contacting Cascadian Farms concerning the ingredients in our products. As manufacturers and consumers, we understand your concern about potential allergens in the foods you eat. Our primary goal is to provide accurate information, and we believe this is best accomplished by referring to the specific ingredients listed on each product package. This is the most current information for your needs.

Our products are labeled for the top 8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy products, eggs, soy, wheat, crustaceans, and fish) plus sesame, sunflower and mollusks. We label for these allergens using CONTAINS and/or MAY CONTAIN lists located directly below the product’s ingredient list.

CONTAINS means that the allergen(s) is included in the product’s recipe. The allergen(s) will be listed in the ingredient list, and also in the CONTAINS statement just below the ingredient list.

MAY CONTAIN means that the allergen(s) is not in the product’s recipe but could be present as result of the manufacturing process regardless of our best efforts to exclude it. These allergens will not be included in the ingredient list.

Both CONTAINS and MAY CONTAIN mean that if you are sensitive to the specific allergen(s) in the list, no matter which way it is listed, you should avoid this product.

This ingredient and allergen information is for the package in hand. It is not intended for other packages of the same product. Ingredients may vary from one package to another due to product reformulation. If you have allergy concerns, please carefully read the ingredient information on each package.

We hope this information helps you. You may also want to contact the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) at 1-800-929-4040, or visit their web site at www.foodallergy.org. Although they cannot provide specific ingredient information regarding a particular product, they are a good resource to help in the management of your allergies and sensitivities.

We appreciate your interest. Please contact us again with any further questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Brent Taylor

Customer Services

Talk about fast and responsive customer service!  His 10 years of working in consumer relations is apparent in a positive way.  Not only did Brent ANSWER my questions, he went above and beyond by giving me additional relevant information.  He is well informed on the importance of how food labeling impacts families managing allergies and will go the extra mile to make consumers feel safe using this company's products!

Want to speak with them yourself?  Contact:  http://www.cascadianfarm.com/ or 1-800-624-4123 (and ask for Brent!)
 
Thank you Cascadian Farm for understanding, so well, the importance of food labeling, and for having individuals like Brent on board!