'Simply having your processed food on the shelves of Whole Foods doesn’t make it a whole food'

Caryn Lipson

May 23, 2024

Whole Foods — now in name only

Whole Foods has a reputation for wholesome natural foods. However, for the last decade, at least, Natural Health 365 related, the company has not been adhering to its whole foods standards in many instances:

In 2022, Farm Forward discovered that the meat Whole Foods was selling was not antibiotic-free as claimed.
In 2015, The Cornucopia Institute called out Whole Foods for rating produce as “Responsibly Grown” yet it didn't meet the standards.
In 2014, a class action suit was brought against Whole Foods for allegedly deceptive labeling foods as “all natural” even though ingredients included “chemical preservatives, artificial coloring, artificial flavorings, and other artificial ingredients.”
“Local products” at Whole Foods may only mean the manufacturer has their headquarters nearby; the main ingredients may be sourced from countries across the globe.
A 2016 documentary (which is no longer available) accused Whole Foods of “being in bed” with Monsanto. Allegations have been “swirling” for years and “there have been instances where Whole Foods has quietly given up a little ground to Monsanto, including an acquiescence to the USDA approving a ‘conditional deregulation’ of herbicide-resistant, GMO alfalfa produced by Monsanto."

Questioning commitment to founding principles

The most recent offense, Natural Health 365 pointed to, is Whole Foods' partnership with fake food manufacturer Impossible Foods, calling into question the company's continued commitment to its raison d'etre and its customers.

This latest deal raises serious questions about Whole Foods’ commitment to its founding principles and its customers’ trust in its brand.

. . .

Fake food giant Impossible Foods recently announced a “highly anticipated” deal with Whole Foods that will begin with the launch of the company’s fake chicken products on Whole Foods’ shelves.

Just like standing in a garage doesn’t make you a car, simply having your processed food on the shelves of Whole Foods doesn’t make it a whole food. Despite the marketing efforts, these highly processed items still fall short of the standards that consumers expect from Whole Foods [emphasis added].

Impossible Foods not Whole Foods' first foray into fake meat

Whole Foods's partnership with Impossible Foods is not the company's first foray into the faux meat market. In 2013, the company began carrying Beyond Meat's vegan “chicken” strips. Initial investors in the fake chicken were Bill Gates and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.

A year later Beyond Meat began selling make-believe meat which morphed into the Beyond Burger in 2016, also carried by Whole Foods.

"Can't tell its ingredients from CHEAP dog food"

X user Dr. Roth tweeted that he didn't think Beyond Burgers would tempt carnivores, the target market for fake meat products. He argued that,

you can't tell the ingredients from CHEAP dog food

Betraying its roots with GMOs

GMWatch tweeted its dismay at Whole Foods' partnership with Impossible Foods, stating that the company is betraying its non-GMO roots since Impossible Foods products contain GMOs.

Bioengineered foods, too?

Not only does Whole Foods sell faux meat and GMO foods, but it also sells bioengineered food products, as X user USMC Lady Vet exposes in her tweet below. Containers of mashed potatoes, prepared green beans, bagels, brownies, and cookies, she reveals, all have the words “Contains a bio-engineered food ingredient” on the label.

Former CEO wasn't “sold on the health benefits of plant-based meats”

Whole Foods former CEO John Mackey told CNBC Make It, in a 2019 interview, that Whole Foods helped Beyond Meat launch all its products, another way the company betrayed its roots.

“We launched Beyond Meat. We were their launching pad. In fact, I think all of their new products have been introduced at Whole Foods,” John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, tells CNBC Make It.

Yet, Mackey didn't seem to think there was a problem there, all the more surprising since he wouldn't endorse the plant-based foods he sold.

But Mackey, who has been a vegan for more than 20 years, isn’t sold on the health benefits of plant-based meats.

“The [brands] who are capturing the imagination of people — and I’m not going to name these brands because I’m afraid I will be associated with the critique of it,” says Mackey, “but some of these that are extremely popular now that are taking the world by storm, if you look at the ingredients, they are super, highly processed foods.”

. . ..

“I don’t think eating highly processed foods is healthy. I think people thrive on eating whole foods,” Mackey says. “As for health, I will not endorse that, and that is about as big of criticism that I will do in public.”

Give up your privacy, too?

Consumers who still choose to support Whole Foods can also pay with their palms, a dubious benefit of the store chain being owned by Amazon since Mackey sold it to the mega-giant in 2017, as X user Fraz tweeted about the technology:

#Technology has gotten to a point where it's facilitating masses while simultaneously making people to give up their privacy voluntarily.

Consumers have choices

Natural Health 365 suggests that those who want truly healthy food shop at local farms or grow their own food. Shopping in one store that has it all may be convenient — but at what cost?

There is simply too much evidence stacked against them. Too many issues have been brought to light that are backed by solid evidence.

So shop at your own risk.

The alternative? Grow your own food or buy your food from truly local farms.

Yes, it is much more convenient to run to a grocery store and pick up what you need. Everything is in one place, and you can have the butcher cut your roast into stew meat if you would like. But should we sacrifice our health, the quality of the food we purchase, and TRUTH for convenience?

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