We have used and loved Silk Soymilk for years and years. I use soymilk in baking and cooking, and Chet loves chocolate soymilk. Recently, we noticed that Silk Soymilk is no longer made from organic soybeans. The package is exactly the same, minus the “organic” label. Keeping the packaging the same, but altering the product is very, very sneaky and in bad faith. Please consider boycotting Silk products, contacting Silk, or speaking to your grocer about other organic soymilk choices. Silk now makes a line of organic soymilks in very different containers. I have not found these new organic Silk milks locally, but I wouldn’t buy them anyway. We have switched to Giant’s Nature’s Promise Soymilk.
FYI: According to the Center for Food Safety, 85 percent of soybeans are genetically modified. Organic soybeans are not genetically modified. Genetic modification has never been proven safe, and a number of studies have revealed that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to humans, animals, and the environment.
Evil Monsanto’s Roundup Ready soybeans account for most of the GM soybeans. Roundup Ready soybeans are engineered to withstand repeated does of Roundup, which means more pesticides can be applied. One study showed that 55% of the offspring of female rats fed genetically engineered soy flour died within three weeks and only 9% of the offspring of rats fed non-GM soy died.
Are your soy products organic??
More Info:
- Monsanto’s 7 Deadly Sins
- New movie damns Monsanto’s deadly sins
- Mice! Forget about birth control – try GE maize instead!
- Download from Greenpeace Environmental and health impacts of GMOs: the evidence
- Download from Greenpeace GM crops: too many risks to ignore
- Case Study on Industry Research: Soy Study by Monsanto
- Most Offspring Died When Mother Rats Ate Genetically Engineered Soy
- Dangers of Genetically Engineered Foods
I did the same thing. A few days ago, pouring the milk I noticed the organic label missing. I wonder when they made the switch. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who is upset with silk. Thanks for all the great link.
Even when you eat organic soy milk you are taking a huge risk with your health. Trans gene contamination has taken place. I’m sure even the products labeled organic have some GM soy. Same with corn, canola, and cotton ((seed oil))!
Below is Silk’s response to my complaint. It is such a nonanswer with a “we don’t give a crap about your opinion” attitude – I hate them more now!!
Thank you for your recent e-mail to Silk®. We appreciate your interest in our products.
If you are unable to find Silk® Soymilk Organic on your favorite store’s shelves we will document your interest in having this product available in your area.
On a regular basis, our Consumer Affairs department provides a report of consumer interest by product and region to our Sales team.
Our Sales team uses this information as part of their strategy to introduce new products to customers and distributors.
Thanks again for contacting the Consumer Affairs Department.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Kesler
Consumer Response Representative
That’s not what organic means, anyway. If it wasn’t organic you probably wouldn’t be able to digest it, or it would kill you or make you sick if you ate it or something.
I was very disappointed to hear about this..but after I bought several boxes of our usual flavors of Silk.
I also heard that some of the soybeans come from China and Brazi on the Organic Consumers Association Blog – I am wondering if this is true as there is a blatant disregarding of environmental standards in China. We have bought Organic Valley Soy Milk in the past, but it is hard to get – but we found it as good or better than the Silk. We are going to try to get our store to stock that brand..
A look at their FAQ shows that they are now marketing Organic and Non-Organic versions of their soymilk, but all are still Non-GMO:
Why doesn’t your packaging say GMO-Free or Non-GMO?
Until recently the terms Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), GMO-Free and Non-GMO were used to help identify foods that contained genetically altered ingredients. These terms are no longer recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and therefore cannot be used on food packaging.
According to the National Organic Standards, products that are certified organic by definition cannot contain genetically modified ingredients. At Silk, we use only Non-GMO soybeans. Look for the biotechnology statement on our packaging, under the list of ingredients: “This soy milk is made from soybeans that were not genetically engineered.”
Are Silk soymilks natural or organic?
Both! Silk offers both organic and natural options. We offer organic options in Plain, Vanilla and Unsweetened refrigerated half gallon flavors. (Look for new organic packaging in January.) We also offer our full refrigerated line of natural soymilk made with non-GMO soybeans. Silk soy yogurt and creamers are made with organic soybeans.
I know what the FAQ at Silk say – I am wondering why they changed the formula without changing the packaging. A lot of folks were fooled (as we were). I know that one organic themed market that I deal with did not know about the change and still had the Silk on a shelf marked organic. I let them know and they are relabeling the shelf. I think that the Silk Soy milk boxes should be relabeled or the color changed to reflect the new difference. I asked the grocery manager at the local Walmart here in Tuscaloosa to carry the new organic version also.. Manna Grocery here in Tuscaloosa was on top of this and already had the new organic version of Silk on their shelves.
Silk will probably be in trouble for this change. The organic factor was a huge draw to their brand. Now I don’t trust them as much anymore. I guess their company got too big and they can’t find enough organic soybeans to satisfy the demand, but now I’m sure their demand will go way down.
I just noticed a week ago too! I’ve switched to Meijer organic soymilk, but I don’t like that they use carageenan and I don’t know what carageenan does to the body.
I just noticed this too!!! I happened upon this blog because I was googling silk organic soymilk hoping I wasn’t crazy. Not even changing the packaging, That’s a dirty scheme especially since I try so hard to keep tainted soy products out of my diet
This is what I sent them let’s see what they say in response:
I went to my local grocer the other day to grab your silk soy milk and realized that it no longer read organic, but now reads “natural”; a very misleading and meaningless title in todays world. I bought Organic Valley soymilk instead and went home to investigate. Had I been crazy this whole time. I know I’ve checked over and over again untill I was sure I could trust your product. I feel I’ve been tricked and cheated by your neglect to change the packaging on your product. I feel this was done on purpose, and furthurmore directly targeting loyal and health concious customers. This was a dirty corporate trick and I just wanted to let you know that after spending about $10 a week on your products for the last few years I will no longer be doing business with you. Shame on you. You can claim your soybeans are non-GMO but I feel like your companies word is now tainted and untrustworthy, so why should anyone believe you.
Vegvan – thanks for taking the time to email Silk to express your disgust for their dirty tactics. I hope they are getting the message. They do claim to use non-GMO soy beans, but there is no certification for non-GMO so it is as meaningless as the label “natural.” I will stick to organic soy milks and continue to boycott Silk until they remedy the situation.
This was so reassuring to find this blog and so many people with similar outrage. I’m not alone!
Here is my letter to Silk:
“Silk Associate,
I am disappointed and disillusioned. I’ve been a Silk customer for years, but you recently betrayed me. I had always taken pride in the fact that the soymilk I purchased was ORGANIC. But all of a sudden, that certification is gone. Missing from the carton.
Despite this significant change in content, the packaging is misleadingly similar to the packaging when Silk Soy WAS organic. You stopped using organic soy beans and didn’t even tell us about it?
You tried to sneak it by, right under our nose, without us knowing?
You boast about the health benefits and green initiatives you support all over your product’s packaging, yet you really believed you could drop the use of organic soy beans as your standard and not receive a massive backlash from your customer base?
What are you, stupid?
I will no longer purchase your products and will make sure I encourage others to avoid your products as well.
Sorry, but you reap what you sow.
- MW”
In all fairness I appreciate that they don’t use GMO soy beans, but even so I still feel betrayed. The battle for plain old-fashioned healthy organic food is on, but we’ve got a long way to go and an uphill battle to boot…
Well, ultimately Silk was never the best veganic option anyway considering who owns it:
http://www.deanfoods.com/brands.aspx
I knew something changed as the regular flavor was suddenly much sweeter with a slight hint of Vanilla. I found a couple of slightly older tetra pacs and sure enough that confirmed something had changed. I didn’t even notice the organic label missing from the container, that’s really too bad as I now need to find another brand to use for my morning latte, easier said then done….
I just Googled “Silk no longer organic” and found your post which answered my question. Thank you for taking the time to post this. I will be writing to Silk and probably won’t be purchasing their New Organic version either.
As an employee of Silk, I wanted to share some information about the Silk Organic and Natural lines in an effort to clear up some confusion.
As of January, Silk now offers both organic and natural varieties of soymilk to give shoppers more options. Silk’s organic soymilks – now in a green-colored package – include Plain, Vanilla and Unsweetened refrigerated half gallon flavors. Those same flavors are now available in our new line of natural soymilk made with all natural, non-GMO soybeans, which is available in the traditional Silk packaging.
We’re sorry to hear that the introduction of the new lines as well as the disappointment in prior communications with Silk may have caused some confusion, but want to reassure you the organic options are still available, and the natural options are made with non-GMO soybeans. In addition, all of our beans, organic and non-GMO, are sourced from North America.
We also hope that anyone who might have been inconvenienced or confused by the new labels speak with their store managers if they’re still not seeing the products they want. I hope this is helpful.
Sara,
You have not cleared up any of the “confusion.” You have only restated what we all NOW know. You did not address any of our concerns or issues.
Issues that I have are as follows:
You are using the same packaging to sell a completely different product.
You are charging the same price to sell now non-organic soy milk that you used to charge when selling organic milk.
You were not up front about the change and tried to sneak the non-organic Silk onto shelves.
Non-GMO is not a certification so it is meaningless.
I will never purchase Silk Soymilk again because your company obviously doesn’t put the consumer and loyal customer first.
Kathy
Thank you so much for this blog entry and posting all the comments! I just suddenly noticed it wasn’t organic too!!!
We will stop buying Silk also because of this fraud.
CSM
Add me to the list of irked consumers. The packaging that should have been changed is the new, conventionally farmed soy product, and the old, organic soy product should have kept the familliar look. Doing it the way that it was done was really underhanded.
No more Silk for me. My family of eight on a tight food budget will be dropping coin on a more upfront and honest company. Ta-ta, Silk!
We were also upset to find out that the Silk milk we were buying was no longer organic. I didn’t even realize I was consuming a non-organic product since the packaging didn’t change.
I appreciated the fact that the company was interested in the health of its consumers as well as that of our farmers and planet. Why ruin a good thing? Why begin to support the use of pesticides that are bad for people and the planet?
I’m really disappointed in the company’s decision to add non-organic soy milk to its product line. Hopefully once people realize the product has changed, they will no longer purchase the toxic (“conventional” non-organic) line and it will be discontinued.
Thank you to everyone for the reassuring posts. My family, like so many on here, purchased Organic Silk Soy Milk for a long time. We noticed the change to “Natural” a few months ago and quickly began to look for other options. We found that Target carries Archer Farm’s brand of organic soy milk and have switched to it. We agree that it is terribly misleading for Silk to keep the same product packaging and yet no longer have organic ingredients.
Glad to find this info. I noticed the missing “organic” label on Silk. I sometimes buy HEB brand of organic chocolate soy milk. Today, I saw for the first time that they had their same “Organic Soy Milk” and a new packaged “Natural Soy Milk” side by side on the shelf for the same price. I don’t know if this was the last of their organic supply, or if they will continue to carry both. At least the “Natural” was the one with the new packaging. I have wondered if HEB’s brand is made by Silk. Anyone know about this? Thanks.
I just read a new report from the Cornucopia Institute titled, ‘Behind the Bean – The Heros and the Charletans of the Natural and Organic Soy Foods Industry’, which scores all the different brands of soy products. I too was shocked to find that the carton of refrigerated Silk Plain no longer was organic. I had a carton of the same product in the long shelf life version with a February date that has the USDA Organic label. The report also states that they had been sourcing soybeans from China. Like all of you I feel incredibly betrayed.
http://www.cornucopia.org./2009/05/soy-report-and-scorecard/
thank you for writing this. i regularly buy silk soy creamer and had not noticed a change. i sent a complaint letter to silk. i guess this is what happens when a company becomes so huge…
Thanks for this posting. I have just now realized my Silk soymilk is no longer organic! I drink 1/2 gallon weekly and happened to look closely at the package this week to see the term “organic” missing. I feel especially concerned because I am pregnant and am a regular consumer of Silk. We do not consume (to our knowledge) non-organic soy products, mostly because of the use of GMO soybeans in conventional soy products. I also agree with a previous point: in addition to the packaging, the price has stayed the same.
Silk’s attempt to slip this by the consumer is very disappointing, and I do not plan to buy anymore Silk after this.
DONT BUY SILK! It is owned by a huge dairy company! Instead make your own or buy Eden soy milk! Silk recently had a recall of some of its chocolate silk because it contained whey (milk protein)!!! And they claim its vegan!
This is SUCH a bummer. I am a long-time vegan and rejoiced when Silk developed its Organic Soy Creamer, which I’ve been using for years. I am pissed at Dean Foods and refuse to buy Silk any longer. Does anyone know of an alternative vegan, liquid non-dairy creamer? I tried the SoyGo powdered variety from Vegan Essentials but it doesn’t dissolve well. Conventional powdered non-dairy creamers (such as CoffeeMate) are not vegan. On a recent visit to Germany, I found a liquid organic soy creamer in a health food store that was quite good, but not available in the U.S. I love my coffee but cannot stomach it black … and regular soymilk just doesn’t perform as well. Help!!!
Annie, I understand your desire for creamer. When I drank coffee, Silk’s creamer was the best. But we got a bunch of bad creamers in a row (clumpy and lumpy) so I switched to regular soy milk. Not as good, but I got used to it. I gave up coffee last summer (still miss it). Good luck in your quest. Thanks for joining the crusade to boycott all Silk products!
Silk is redoing its website so you can no longer send them emails. I am also boycotting Silk. I just bought Natural Directions Organic Soy Milk. It was cheaper than Silk, organic and just as good. I wonder if Starbucks is in on the change?
I was so annoyed when I learned of this! When it comes to liquid creamers Silk WAS the best! I don’t like this sneak attack that they pulled. I used Silk religiously when at home and the office. I just can’t get over that they didn’t at least lower their price after it became non-organic! I noticed Annie mentioned the powder creamer Soygo. I have it here on my desk and I think it dissolves well. My first choice is liquid but when it comes to being out, and most certainly when traveling, SOygo works great for me and they are using organic, non-gmo soy beans! I was actually really surprised it has a good amount of fiber and protein in such a small serving, too. Added plus, I don’t have to worry about refrigeration. The most important things to me when using a creamer is that it’s healthy and that I like the taste and Soygo is both. It tastes really pleasant. There is some creamer left at the bottom of the cup when I first use it but I just stir it a little extra. Its just powder that might end up settling to the bottom of the cup. Don’t all powders do that to some degree? And if I don’t let my coffee sit too long I don’t have to worry about it all…
I wanted to make a point to say that “organic” and “non-GMO” are not mutually exclusive terms. Non-GMO refers to the seeds themselves, while organic refers to the way in which a food is grown. Organic can be GMO, non-GMO can be conventional and vice verse on both. If a grower does not know he is using GMO seeds and then works hard to grow it organically, it is still a harmful product. I was so disapointed to learn the news about Silk.
Non-GMO has been a rather vague statement that was not verified or certified in most instances, but the Non-GMO Project will help with this issue. They are North America’s first consensus-based Standard, third-party Product Verification Program, and uniform Seal for products made following best practices of GMO avoidance. Yay!
In the past, one way to make sure you were not consuming GMO products was with the organic certification. Genetic engineering is an “excluded method” in organic farming and processing, according to the National Organic Program. But I guess that wording is getting muddy, read this article for more info.
My mom just called and told me she just noticed the removal of “organic” from the label. I immediately went to look in my fridge, and sure enough, it says “natural”. I googled it and found this blog. It’s great to see all of the responses. I drink a protein drink with Silk Soy Milk every single morning so I use a lot of it, and have done so for about 4 – 5 years. I am soooooo disappointed that they made the switch like this. It makes absolutely no sense to put a new product in an existing product’s package, and create a new package for an existing product… no reason other than deceiving their customers, that is. I will no longer buy Silk products! And I’m also mad that their website is still down and I can’t even complain to them!
It is strange how long Silk’s website has been “not available due to technical problems.” I wonder why??
Silk’s website is back in operation. They changed their contact link and I updated it in my original post. Please continue to let Silk know that you are dissatisfied with the changes in their products.
Hi there,
I’m very appreciative that you pointed out the changes and I agree that Silk should have made their switch to both organic and non-organic more clearly. It also must be frustrating to encounter problems on the website.
However, I must disagree with your response. Silk does indeed have an organic version, and your graphic may be misleading to those who are seeking an organic version.
Thanks!
I emailed Silk again to let them know how disappointed many, many people are. I don’t mind continuing to remind them! Things don’t change with silence.
I posted about this on my blog too after also contacting the company. I didn’t happen to notice the difference with the packaging, only read about in an alert from the OCA! Not only have they kept their carton the same, they even kept the same price point and UPC. No wonder retailers are confused and haven’t made the switch. Our local co-op has not stocked the organic or I probably would have noticed the difference as the new box (for the old product?!) is radically different.
I’m SO glad to find this on your blog. I noticed the change sometime ago and also got upset with their same package with only the word NATURAL instead of ORGANIC. I told some people about this. I’m also discontinuing my purchase of SILK, after long years, even though they created the green organic package, less available in stores. It’s an absurd ! We should all stop buying SILK because of the sneaky way they did it. Total lack of respect ! (In fact, it didn’t surprise me so much because Silk was bought in 2002 by a big dairy company)
There are several good options in the market. Let’s give our money to whom deserves it !
ALS – Thanks for your comment. I am sorry that you disagree with my graphic, but I feel that it is fair and necessary. Silk’s organic milk is in a different package. I want people to know that that the traditional packaging, as shown in the graphic, is NOT organic. Most retailers don’t sell the organic version, and hopefully people continue to boycott Silk based on the principal of the sneaky change.
Lynne, Heather, and Gilda – I completely agree. Thanks so much for your comments and for spreading the knowledge.
Just noticed the switch myself, and am glad I’m not the only one annoyed. How can you change from certified organic to “natural” yet still charge the exact same price for your product?
Another interesting thing about the switch: Wal-Mart, which for over five years has offered their own store brand certified organic soy milk, made the switch too–their soy milk is now simply “natural” (yet costs the same as before). What’s really strange, however, is that the Wal-Mart brand “natural” soy milks says on the label something to the effect that it is made “without synthetic hormones, pesticides, fertilizers,” etc. I understand you have to take anything Wal-Mart says with a grain of salt, but it’s interesting that they’ve included this on their label, while Silk’s “natural” stuff bears nothing of the sort on its label.
My best guess is that these companies haven’t done a whole lot to change their product but over time their bean suppliers have been cross contaminated with the Monsanto soybeans causing them to no longer be organic. I wouldn’t hold out for a straight answer from the company as it could represent a legal issue for them to do so.
My advice, Rice milk and Almond Milk are pretty good.
I came to this site searching for an answer to my recent problems with Silk creamer that the company could or would not provide. I am a long time vegan, and I use Silk and Silk creamer for my entire family and have offered it in my restaurant, even promoting it. For the last month, we’ve noticed one bad batch of Silk creamer after another. The company was purchased by a dairy company a few years ago- (hopefully this means that Big Dairy realizes how despicable the selling of enslaved cow’s milk to humans is, instead of the mama cow feeding her baby calf as God intended it, and people are getting smart) They claim that in the whole US, I am the only one who has been having a problem with their product… amazing! Anyway, finding your blog lets me know that even with the acquisition of Silk, they continue to act like typical Big Dairy, and it’s time to find a new product, and share it with all of my vegan family, friends and customers. I’ve helped 2 more people become vegan in the last month, and they are spreading it to 6 more, and it’s already time to update them with this information on Silk. Thanks!
Debby – I used to use Silk creamer, and I had several bad batches that were lumpy and disgusting. So about 2 years ago, I just stopped using creamer and starting using soymilk, not quite as good, but it worked. Sorry that you need to find new products to support, but many of us came to that same conclusion, sigh. Congrats on spreading the awesomeness of veganism. Thanks for the comment.
No more Silk for us.
Iam confused I just bought a half gallon of silk choch flavor and was wondering how much soy was in it and came across this blog. So Im new to the soy thing so then this product is not good for me? I wanted to add soy to my diet to help with menapause symtoms which is to add soy. So should I through it away? I just drank a glass of it and it was good but I dont need more problems with my body I looked at my label and it says on the back made with real soybeans and not GMO so then this is a lie its not made with soybeans and contains harmful pesticides in eat someone help me with this thanks
Have any of you tried Vitasoy Soy Milk? Is it Organic? Does it taste good? I am currently enjoying Silk Vanilla Soy Milk but I am concerned about this product switch Silk has done. My grocer used to sell Vitasoy Soy Milk but no longer does. I googled Vitasoy and found out it is still sold in certain stores like Wholefoods. Any information you have on Vitasoy Soy milk would be appreciated. Thank you.
Teri – Sorry I didn’t get back to you right away. When we found out, we used up the nonorganic soymilk that we had; I don’t like to be wasteful. As I said before “non GMO” is not a certification (although they are working on one). We have no guarantee of the quality of Silk’s soybeans. My advice would be to only purchase and consume organic soy products if you are concerned about your health.
Tim – It appears that Vitasoy makes both organic and nonorganic soymilk. The organic versions are labeled on the front and the ingredients list organic soybeans. I have not tried it. We do not drink soymilk; we use it in cooking so taste is not crucial. Good luck and let us know if you find a yummy alternative.
Teri, you might try “dong quai” the herb for the menopausal symptoms.
Thank you, thank you for this blog. It’s kinda interesting, a mo. or 2 ago, something (God?) was telling me I’d have about 1 more mo., maybe 2 to go off Silk, because the local suppliers would no longer have the pure organic version.
I’ve used Silk, chocolate, vanilla, and creamer for a very long time–really too bad, but I’m not gonna be a risk for the cancer ward if I can help it.
After hearing about this, I had to find out more, here in canada, they sell it at Shoppers drug mart now, harder to find in a grocery store. This is indicative of something to me.
So the original blue package, still says organic, and has the organic symbol on it. The Silk with the added nutrients, is labeled “natural” and no organic logo. So this could get really confusing. To sort it out, I am simply never buying their product again. The company has ties with the larger cattle factories in the USA, so they have to be shut down. BOycott or die.
I know it can be tough depending on where you live, but fine an alternative to Nature’s Promise if you can. Their milk supplier got a “failing grade” on the treatment of their dairy cows. I know there aren’t cows involved in making the soy milk product you’re buying, but it’s the same company…
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4756
Thanks for the link. My family is now going to try and buy a different brand from now on… It’s so sad because we really loved silk.
Here is the letter I sent to Silk:
I am writing you to tell you how disappointed I am in your product. I have faithfully purchased Vanilla Silk Soy Milk for over half a decade. It’s a little on the pricey side but I was okay with it because not only did it taste good and have a consistency similar to cow’s milk but it was also ORGANIC. Now I feel totally duped because you stopped making the blue box vanilla soy milk organic and kept it in the same package with the same pricing! I’ve NEVER purchased a product that WAS ORGANIC and then stopped being ORGANIC. So to finally realized you took the organic out of my soy milk which my whole family drinks makes me livid. LIVID! This is one of the most dishonest practices I’ve seen. I’m now going to look around for another maker of soy milk because it’s obvious that I cannot trust the label your packaging, I now must verify the product that I’ve been purchasing for years and years is ORGANIC EVERY TIME I BUY IT! SHAME ON YOU!
I have seen that you do make an organic version in a GREEN CARTON ,but guess what, my store doesn’t carry it.
I think that if you were going to stop making organic soy milk in the blue box that you should have completely changed your label instead of sneakily taking the organic out of the label. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
Sarah – well said!
There seems to be a trend here. I just noticed today that Target’s Archer Farms brand refrigerated half-gallon soymilk is no longer organic. At least they redesigned the carton graphics.
Good evening,
I was just wondering the packaging has been changed on our favorite products. One Commenter is correct the packaging should read Non GMO. I have no idea is Monsanto has supplied these companies with the seeds to create the finished product. Additionally, another Commenter is also correct. It is very possible the milk has been crossed contaminated. I have seen enough documentaries and the seeds can fly any any where to the wind. For example, one farmer in Canada was being sued by Monsanto because they claimed the held there property (meaning the seeds). Well the seeds flew in the wind onto his property from the trucks passing by his farm. I think the name of the video is the ” Future of Food” I watch alot of netflick documentaries. I am going to investigate this soy milk business. Take care everyone and be safe.
Dawn
Okay, i found a site that says “Edens” soy milk is not GMO. I’m gonna have to investigate that. The web site is “Edensfood.com”
Be Safe.
Same with me. After many many years of enjoing SILK milk I noticed that it is not organic any longer; I switched to Trader’s Joe (organic) soy milk. It is good, so I do not plan to return to Silk.
My family and I were out of the country for much of this year, and it was today before I noticed the loss of the “Organic” label on our Silk. Very deceptive. I did a quick calculation, and I’ve likely spent well over a thousand dollars on Silk in the past decade+, and that’s money Deane Foods will certainly not receive in the future. The Organic Consumers Association website has a good description on this issue.
I just wanted to add to the other people who are outraged by Silk. I am lucky because I have access to a Whole Foods that has their house brand (365) of Soy milk. I’ll never buy Silk again and I asked Whole Foods and my local coop to stop stocking it as well. If you really want to affect this tell your grocery store.
Dear Silk,
Organic to Natural, you are not fooling me. Were your soy beans genetically modified or not? I have been supporting your brand for seven years, and wondering if I have been fooled by your packaging this whole time. I would cut out soy milk, but my wife wont drink milk. The fact that cows milk was designed to feed their young has converted my wife to soy milk drinker. Further more the sneaky food labeling, is only discrediting your company in the long run.
My Sources: Food Inc, Natural Food Blogs
p.s. I think your soy beans were never organic, even though you labeled it so. I suspect you were forced into fixing the problem with “natural” verbiage.
Why is the new organic line, not in our market? Hmm
Please reply,
thank you
I wrote to White Wave asking about the lack of “organic” labeling…this is their response:
Thank you for your recent e-mail to Silk®. We appreciate your interest in our products.
Offering a broader range of products to meet our consumer demand, we now offer two different product lines: organic and natural. We know some consumers are more interested in the health benefits associated with adding soy in their diet (cholesterol-free, lactose-free, and may reduce the risk of heart disease) than consuming products that are strictly organic. For those interested in organic products, we still offer the plain, vanilla, and unsweetened in an organic option.
Thanks again for contacting the Consumer Affairs Department.
Sincerely,
Alberto Vasquez
Consumer Response Representative
Ref: N970333
I just rented the movie Food Inc . Wow what a wake up call! I thought I was buying a healthy drink for my kids. Not so with Silk soymilk, and it doesn’t stop there. Almost every food items in the grocery stores contain some form of soy beans that are genetically modified. I will be a advocate for more healthy food choices.
I just recently realized that Silk was no longer organic and got a similar form letter response from Alberto Vasquez when I voiced my displeasure. What a dodgy thing to do to your loyal customers.
A few years ago I was a loyal SunSoy drinker and switched to Silk when Dean/White Wave bought SunSoy and effectively killed the line in favor of Silk. At the time, even though I LOVED SunSoy, I made the switch to what I considered an inferior tasting (non-organic) product on the basis that Silk was organic. Now I find out that they’ve pulled a bait and switch.
And as one comment pointed out, Silk is still charging the same hefty price for a product that costs them less to produce. When you drink 2-4 half gallon containers per week, like my family does, the costs really add up.
Now that Silk is no longer organic, White Wave is trying sugarcoat the decision with the idea that they only source soybeans from America. As much as I appreciate the concept, but how long will THAT commitment last? Dean Foods obviously only cares about the bottom line.
For now, I’ve switched to Meijer Organic Soymilk.
thanks to whomever posted the gmo project website. so basically pacific and eden are the only soymilk brands without GMO? i drink a lot of soymilk everyday, so this is a big concern. if anyone else has a similar resource for finding non-gmo brands, it’d be appreciated!
I stopped drinking soy milk a while ago. I prefer and still drink almond milk. We need to let congress know we want gmo labels, and labels for cloned meat.
I would like to know what I’m eating. We also need to end the government subsidization of certain crops, and tariffs on sugar, so they use less of it in our food.
Stevia is much sweeter and is better for you.
Let’s vote with our wallet.
why not just make your own
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy_milk_maker
Didn’t want GM soybeans in my Silk, so I typed in Monsanto and Silk into Google and this link came up. How sneaky of them. I just bought a half gallon and feel like tossing it right in the trash. I am no longer a customer. And I will tell everyone I know who drinks this the real truth. Thanks everyone. I don’t feel so alone now. : )
I’m glad I’m not crazy! I told my husband like 2 months ago… I knew it was Organic and that was the reason we started buying Silk Soy Milk.
When I told my husband about the missing label (Organic) he said.. “no, it is the same package and it never said Organic” And of course it did! I showed him this post today and now he believes me. We buy 4 gallons of milk per week and we will not longer buy any Silk products again. We will look for other options.
Thank you for taking the time to do this forum.
I was never really aware that Silk was an untrustworthy product. Just this week in my environmental science class, my teacher had the class watch Food Inc. The misconduct behind the curtains was so appalling that my stomach still squirms even now. What surprised me the most was seeing the name brand Silk in the video, since I switched to soymilk some time ago. I figured that it was not on accident that it was there, so I decided so do some research and landed on this website. Thanks for the eye-opener everyone. I will not buy silk anymore, and I will discourage its purchase among the people I know. Again thanks.
This sucks. I only noticed it *now* and have unwittingly bought non-organic soy milk since whenever the change happened. Never again, I’m done with Silk brand for the rest of my life. Thanks for sharing, all…
As of.. today my carton of Silk says ‘Organic’, I know they have some non-organic soymilk now.. but if I’m reading their soybean sourcing guidelines correctly none of them are GMO.
http://www.silksoymilk.com/content/pdf/SilkSoybeanSourcingProgram.pdf
Apparently they now use what they call ‘Natural’ soy products and ‘Organic’. The organic ones are USDA Organic and the ‘Natural’ ones are -
“Our sourcing program will include sustainable farming practices and farmers that are committed to continuous
improvement and providing non-genetically modified crops (non-GMO) while preserving environmental
and biological integrity.”
Looked into it a bit more.. I guess what happened is they started sourcing soy from china, not sure if it’s 100% true but interesting read
http://bereagardens.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-silk-soy-milks-parent-company-is_12.html
Brian, interesting article. All the more reason to avoid Silk. Thanks for posting.
I am watching the last 15 minutes of FOOD INC.
Soy was mentioned as one of Monsanto’s food products
so–as I am a big “Silk” soymilk consumer-read the
container and sure enough–the organic label is gone.
Well, I will do the best I can to hunt down Meijer, Giant’s Nature’s Promise or Organic Valley soy milk.
My food shopping takes longer, as I try to read labels carefully. Can’t assume “they” won’t change the ingredients of items I had already checked.
Kinda like trying to do a healthy thing after the barn door has been open too many years—I’m 70 years old. But what about the younger population? What a horrible mess we have made of this planet.
Shame!
Barbara I completely agree we have made a horrible mess, but I am hopeful that many people are becoming aware and changing their shopping habits. Money speaks louder than words. Oh, and it is never too late!
To those who are seeking a vegan coffee creamer:
I have used Trader Joe’s creamer and I thought it was pretty good. It used to be organic, but I haven’t checked the label recently.
Please, by all means post my name and email. I would like these corporate slime balls to know the name of the customer they have lost, the name of the man who will remove this horrible back stabbing product from the shelves of his local natural food store so that it can’t poison anyone else. Please write to my email with ideas. I can’t see straight I’m so infuriated.
you people are all [bleep] idiots. it makes no difference, and your prob not all that healthy anyway.
Well, I know it’s been more than a year since the original article was posted, but some of the comments are fairly recent and they still have a problem with Silk’s organic-ity. Anyway, I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve been buying Silk soy milk for about a year (I buy the green vanilla carton at Costco). Every single time, the label says “organic” and on the back they say it’s made with non-GMO soy beans. The ingredients list lists organic soy beans (all the ingredients are organic).
On the front: “Organic” shows up three times, in huge letters under “Silk,” on the bottom with the health benefits, and on the very bottom.
Back: “We like to think of soy as nature’s perfect protein– and you just don’t mess with perfection. Unlike soymilks made from chemically extracted soy protein, we use only whole harvested soybeans… yada yada yada… Our organic products use only organic, NON-GMO beans… etc.”
Side: “Now Silk Organic Vanilla tastes better than ever.” “Made from NON-GMO North American soybeans.”
Ingredients: Orgainic Soymilk (Filtered Water, Whole Organic Soybeans), Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Sea Salt, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin *B2), Vitamin B12.
RegZhang,
What you are buying is the “new” organic Silk and I believe that it IS organic. People used to buy organic Silk for years and years in a the original packaging. They changed the product in the original packaging from organic to nonorganic and created a new package for the organic stuff. Does that make sense?
Kathy
How to Avoid Genetically-Manipulated (GMO) Food Ingredients
In North America, all soy that is labeled “organic soy” is guaranteed to not be genetically-manipulated and not be treated with herbicides. Look for soy products and ingredients (e.g., tofu, tempeh, miso, soy sauce, soy milk, etc.) which are organic. All other soy ingredients are almost always genetically-manipulated and herbicide-treated. The same is true for canola, corn, dairy products and potatoes. Look for organic corn, potato and dairy ingredients at your local health food store. Check the ingredients labels carefully. It may be best to avoid canola altogether because it is rarely organic and is usually chemically-treated as detailed by world expert, Udo Erasmus. Outside of Europe and Asia it may not be possible at this time to avoid genetically-manipulated ingredients 100% of the time, but it is a good idea to avoid them when possible. The List of Companies Pledging to Remove GMO Ingredients is another very useful resource. Eden has been GMO since
1993.
http://www.soyinfo.com/haz/company.shtml
I have stopped buying Silk and now am a Eden soy milk buyer. Do you all know any other companies that are using GMO soy in their soy-based vegetarian food products (vegetarian burgers, non-meat chicken, seitan, tempeh….)?
Thank you for any info you can provide. AND THANKS for this string of posting!
Mei’s comment on Silk Soy Milk. I was disappointed after finding out this product as well.i have stopped buying it and considering making my own almond milk, mainly to go with my oatmeal, I’m very new at this living healthier lifestyle.Hope you find the right product to buy.Its very hard to depend on a label these days. Soo i’m working my way up to making homemade foods. It will pay off in the long run.
Thanks for the heads up. I too have been using Silk for two years because we it was originally organic. After reading your article I went to my fridge and took a look at the package. They changed the organic to natural Wow what a bait and switch. I hope Silk loses money for their deception.