Bloomingfoods Brand/Product Boycott Policy
We are driven by and committed to our Ends Statement and the seven co-op principles. We have more than 8,000 active owner-members with diverse needs, views, and passions. Thus, the cooperative itself will not participate in brand/product boycotts. However, we are dedicated to consumer education and will post information on this page about boycotts impacting any brand/product sold at Bloomingfoods. It is important to us that our shoppers have the necessary information to make purchases that are aligned with their needs, views, values, and passions.
All information posted about brand/product boycotts are overseen by our Leadership Team, which includes the General Managers, Store Managers, HR Manager, Finance Manager, and Marketing & Communications Manager. All requests to boycott a brand/product are to be sent to info@bloomingfoods.coop for our Leadership Team to review.
Brand/Product boycott requests must be:
Well-defined;
Clearly stated;
Have achievable goals;
Exhibit goals consistent with our mission and/or core values; and
Contain valid and verifiable information with sources listed.
After our Leadership Team has verified that the brand/product boycott request is a legitimate boycott, information about the boycott will be posted on our website and and sent out to our email subscribers.
The brand/product boycott information will remain posted on our website and in-store until our Leadership Team determines:
The boycott has been officially called off by the organizing party or issues were resolved;
Our stores no longer carry the brand/product(s); or
The Leadership Team obtains new information that changes the premise of the situation related to either the brand/product(s) and/or the boycott.
This policy was created on 4/12/23.
Current Boycotts:
Amy’s Kitchen
Bloomingfoods has been notified of an organized boycott of Amy’s Kitchen products citing the company’s failure to protect its workers from what they claim are unsafe working conditions in their production facility located in Petaluma, CA. Amy’s Kitchen has denied all such claims that are being cited.
As guided by our Brand/Product Boycott Policy when a well-defined boycott has been established with clear achievable goals consistent with our mission and/or core values, Bloomingfoods’ response is to inform our shoppers via our website and email those who have subscribed to receive digital communications from us. Shoppers have the right to participate in the boycott by not purchasing the products until the boycott has ended. Bloomingfoods’ obligation is to stay informed about any changes related to the boycott and keep information current for our shoppers throughout the boycott.
Additional Information
About Amy’s Kitchen: https://ourpeople.amys.com/
Eater San Francisco story | March 14, 2022: https://sf.eater.com/2022/3/14/22977538/amys-kitchen-boycott-worker-complaints
Vegetarian Times story | March 4, 2022: https://www.vegetariantimes.com/news/amys-kitchen-boycott-safety/
Bon Appetit Allegation Update | December 13, 2022: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/amys-kitchen-sexual-harassment-worker-allegations
Prism Boycott Update | December 13, 2022: https://prismreports.org/2022/12/13/amys-kitchen-boycott-after-nlrb-settlement/
GT’s Living Foods
Bloomingfoods has been notified of an organized boycott of GT’s Living Foods products citing the company subjected workers to "deplorable and abusive and disturbing working conditions" in one factory in Vernon, Calif., between 2010 and 2014.
As guided by our Brand/Product Boycott Policy when a well-defined boycott has been established with clear achievable goals consistent with our mission and/or core values, Bloomingfoods’ response is to inform our shoppers via our website and email those who have subscribed to receive digital communications from us. Shoppers have the right to participate in the boycott by not purchasing the products until the boycott has ended. Bloomingfoods’ obligation is to stay informed about any changes related to the boycott and keep information current for our shoppers throughout the boycott.
Additional Information
About GT’s Living Foods: https://gtslivingfoods.com/pages/our-story
When "100% Pure Love" Sours — Inside GT's Living Foods Kombucha Lawsuit | August 9, 2023: https://www.greenmatters.com/business/gt-kombucha-lawsuit
Popular Kombucha Brand GT's Living Foods Proven To Have Abused Workers | August 4, 2023: https://www.tastingtable.com/1357629/gt-living-foods-exploitive-abusive-kombucha-workers/
Workers Say GT’s Kombucha Is Made with 100% Pure Exploitation | August 3, 2023: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/gt-kombucha-worker-exploitation
L.A.’s kombucha empire exploited workers for years | August 1, 2023: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-08-01/kombucha-synergy-gts-living-foods-worker-lawsuit
Heavy Metals in Dark Chocolate
Heavy metal contamination in dark chocolate and cocoa products is an ongoing issue that continues to make headlines as more research is done to understand the extent of the contamination and the potential risk this beloved food item might pose to our health.
In August, George Washington University (GWU) released the results of a comprehensive eight-year study looking at levels of contamination in 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products. Researchers found varying levels of lead and cadmium in most of them. While all products met the FDA guidelines for allowable levels, 50% of the products tested had at least one metal present at levels prohibited by California’s Prop 65 regulations. As a result, researchers recommend adults limit dark chocolate to 1-2 ounces per day and that parents limit dark chocolate even further for children and during pregnancy.