Natural Food Certifiers to phase out products containing GMOs from its kosher certification program

(http://www.theorganicprepper.ca) Natural Food Certifiers (NFC), an organization that certifies vegan, kosher and organic foods, announced April 25, 2013, that any food product that contains GMOs is no longer eligible to be certified as kosher under their "Apple K" kosher certification program. A press release stated:

"NFC was very proud to introduce the first "Natural Only" kosher supervision," said NFC Director Rabbi Reuven Flamer. "It's a logical application of our principle, 'Start Naturally. Stay that Way.' Therefore, the Natural Apple K cannot be placed on a product that contains GMOs," Flamer explained.

"While according to the strict letter of Kosher food law a GMO food ingredient is not prohibited, in our view it is not natural. Additionally, there is a Torah (religious)-based law to 'guard your health'. GMOs are the number-one growing concern among health-conscious consumers and for businesses in the natural and organic food market, as well as in the conventional food industry," said Rabbi Flamer.

"Recent studies show that GMOs may cause various kinds of health problems from digestive disturbances to food allergies, and that GMOs require more herbicides, which is really the opposite reason why GMOs were touted to be so environmentally helpful in the first place," Rabbi Flamer added. "For all of the many reasons that GMOs raise a red flag, consumers simply don't want them in their foods, and our clients want to accommodate their customers."

NFC is currently phasing out GMO containing products from its kosher certification program, which should be complete in April 2014.