It’s time we put a label on this relationship!
In our ongoing pursuit for integrity and transparency and our deep, driving desire to always provide our customers with the cleanest, healthiest snacks without compromise, we’ve chosen to add the Seed Oil Free Alliance’s industry-leading certification to all of our snacks.
What does this mean? In short, an added dose of ingredient clarity and transparency with every Artisan Tropic snack you enjoy.
The first of its kind, this third-party certification by the Seed Oil Free Alliance sets an industry standard to ensure that absolutely no seed oils are found in the products that bear the Seed Oil Free distinction. Backed by medical professionals, the Seed Oil Free Alliance’s strict standards aim to ensure that the highly processed, nutritionally void seed oils found in so many foods today are completely out of the picture in any product bearing their certification.
How does it work? Using verified, independent labs, all oils and refined fat ingredients to be used in Seed Oil Free Alliance-certified foods are strategically tested to ensure that the final product is completely seed oil-free. Additionally, the finished product is tested post-production as an added layer of seed oil-free certainty. To take it one step further, the oils tested may not contain other unwanted artificial ingredients like preservatives, colorings or flavorings. The Seed Oil Free Alliance also conducts regular auditing on all brands bearing their certification in order to maintain accuracy and ensure product integrity.
The problems with processed seed oils are vast and ongoing. Chief among them is the lack of certainty that the oil you’re purchasing is actually what you’re getting, because what you see - labels claiming “100% Pure,” isn’t always what you get (in reality, most often mixed and tainted oil blends). Avocado and olive oils in particular are notoriously tricky, with many baseless claims for “purity” that, upon testing, actually show a mix of much lower quality seed oils with just a fraction of the labeled oil you think you’re getting. Many of these marketing claims are bland and greasy at best, with no real unifying or certifying entity to hold brands accountable. In addition to this lack of trust and transparency in the cooking oils market is the poor nutritional quality of most processed seed oils used in packaged products and restaurants.
This is where the Seed Oil Free Alliance comes in, paving the way for consumer clarity and building a trusting coalition of brands and restaurants who value transparency and ingredient integrity. Our choice to pursue this distinction further lets consumers know exactly what they’re getting and alleviates concerns about any lurking unwanted ingredients.
We chose to use palm oil in the first place because of its significantly lower environmental impact when sourced sustainably (the only way we’ll do it) compared to most other commonly used seed oils, and because of its ability to retain its nutritional value when heated vs the highly rancid, chemically processed, nutritionally void inflammatory seed oils often chosen for snack foods. Although our snacks have always been “seed oil-free,” we wanted to go the extra mile to ensure our consumers know the quality and purity we will always strive toward.
This deeply rooted commitment to transparency and integrity, even when we don’t have to, has always been at the forefront of the Artisan Tropic mission. We’re not out to simply maintain the status quo, but rather to turn the tide and push the industry standard toward more transparency and better people-and-planet-focused practices. We care about what we do and the impact it has on our planet, customers, employees, producers, processors, and everyone in between. Beyond just really good snacks that we love to share, we’re ultimately about improving the quality of life for everyone we have the opportunity and privilege to impact with our products. This is our driving purpose.
For us, pursuing this added layer of clarity and consumer trust was a no-brainer. You shouldn’t have to scour the label, dissecting every inch of a packaged product in hopes of finding something good/redeeming/safe enough to eat. Neither should you require a Ph.D. in Ingredient Terminology simply to understand what food product-type-thing it is you’re actually consuming. We want to make it really transparent: here’s what you’ll never see in any of our snacks. You can find that immediately when you pick up any box or bag of our snacks.
In addition to the newest Seed Oil Free certification, our plantain and cassava strips and crackers are also certified Gluten Free, Paleo, USDA Organic (applies only to Crackers) Non-GMO Project Verified (applies only to Strips), Certified Glyphosate Residue Free, and Certified Kosher.
It’s a mouthful, we know. But at least it’s a mouthful of something you can feel good about eating and sharing with your families.
Clean, simple snacks made with integrity. And not just snacks to be enjoyed today (although, absolutely that, too), but practices that make a lasting impact that shapes the future of food—even when it’s going against the tide. Even when it means taking more steps along the road less traveled. That’s the Artisan Tropic way.
We don’t just pursue labels for labeling sake. We pursue trust, integrity, and purpose. Good stewardship. Raising the bar. We truly believe that by continuing to partner with like-minded people, we can create a world where the foods we choose do more for our bodies, our communities, and the planet.
You can find this new Seed Oil Free Alliance logo rolling out on all our packaging in the coming months and know that it’s just another symbol of our unwavering dedication to nourish you with delicious, convenient, wholesome foods to help you thrive.
This blog post was written by Ashley Castle
