Are your ingredients produced with genetic engineering? – podcast

Dana Perls of Friends of the Earth shares insights on evolving technology and the questions to ask about GMO sourcing.

Heather Granato, VP, Partnerships & Sustainability

October 2, 2019

Technology is having a profound effect on the supply chain, from how we communicate to the way ingredients are produced. New types of genetic engineering are allowing the production of ingredients not before seen in the dietary supplement space, sometimes without clear communication about how they were developed and commercialized. In this SupplySide West edition of the Healthy INSIDER Podcast, Dana Perls, senior food and agriculture campaigner at Friends of the Earth, discusses steps that buyers and marketers should take to ensure they’re sourcing ingredients that align with their values, and communicating clearly with consumers. Dana will be presenting at SupplySide West in Las Vegas in the “Unraveling the Biotech Conundrum” workshop on Thursday, Oct. 17.

In this podcast, Perls and Informa’s Heather Granato discuss:

  • How technologies like gene editing are changing how ingredients can be developed despite the potential for unforeseen consequences.

  • Which categories of ingredients are prioritized for production through gene editing technologies, and whether they’re already on the market.

  • The questions buyers can and should ask to ensure they’re receiving ingredients that clearly identify how they’re produced.

 

To hear more about GMO 2.0 and maintaining the integrity of the supply chain, join Perls at the “Unraveling the Biotech Conundrum” workshop on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Got feedback? Email Heather at [email protected] or tweet to @NatProdINSIDER using the hashtag #INSIDERpodcast

 

About the Author

Heather Granato

VP, Partnerships & Sustainability, Informa Markets, Food EMEA division

Heather Granato is a 30-year veteran of the natural products industry, currently serving as vice president, partnerships & sustainability, in the Food EMEA division of Informa Markets. She is based in London, and leads efforts related to industry partnerships and broader sustainability initiatives for the Vitafoods and Food ingredients brands. She has been a presenter at events including SupplySide, Vitafoods, Food ingredients, Natural Products Expo, the Natural Gourmet Show and the Folio: Show. Her publishing experience includes Natural Products Insider, Food Product Design, Vitafoods Insights, Country Living's Healthy Living, Natural Foods Merchandiser, Delicious Magazine and WomenOf.com. Granato serves as the founding president of Women In Nutraceuticals, a global non-profit founded in 2022 focused on empowering women in the nutraceutical industry; she is also on the board of directors for the Organic & Natural Health Association. From 2016 to 2022, she was a vice president on the national governing board of Kappa Alpha Theta women’s fraternity. Granato was named to the FOLIO: 100 list of top media professionals in 2018, and was selected as a 2015 Top Woman in Media by FOLIO:. She received the 2014 Visionary Award and the 2018 Journalistic Excellence Award from the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA); and was honored with the CEO Merit Award for Content from Virgo in 2014. Granato graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond, Virginia, in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

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