| Type | Corporation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1968 |
| Website | edenfoods.com |
Eden Foods, Inc., (also known as Eden Organic), is the oldest independent[1] organic food producer in the United States, and the largest supplier of organic dry grocery items.[2] It is best known for its Edensoy line of organic soy milk,[3] and its line of organic Japanese foods and condiments.
Eden was founded in 1968 in Ann Arbor, Michigan as an organic food co-op and grocery store, In 1972, the company began importing Japanese foods such as miso and soy sauce for both the retail and commercial markets. Many of Eden's Japanese foods are still sourced in Japan.
Most of Eden Food's products are organic, most are certified kosher, and all of Eden Foods' products are also vegan, except for their katsuo (Japanese fish flakes). Many of Eden's prepared foods are also gluten-free, and have therefore been recommended for those on a gluten-free or gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet[4]
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EdenSoy was the first soy milk available commercially in the United States, first released in 1983.
In 1983 the FDA warned the company against promoting the product as infant formula[5] and in 1988 the Department of Justice charged the company and its president Michael J. Potter.[6] In 1989 Potter was sentenced to jail under the Infant Formula Act.[5]
In 1997, an independent test by the New York Times looking for traces of GMOs in 11 soy and corn-based products found Eden's milk to be the only product that tested clean, a finding that Eden Foods attributed to their extensive certification and testing program.[7]
In 2001, Eden shoyu soy sauce was rated highest for flavor by Cook's Illustrated in a comparison of 12 brands. In 2007, Eden's tamari was rated best out of seven brands tested in a comparison conducted by the San Francisco Chronicle for its "Taster's Choice" column.[8]
In 1999, Prevention Magazine rated Eden's "Extra Virgin Spanish Olive Oil" highest in flavor and protective nutrients out of the 22 brands of extra virgin olive oil studied.[9]
In 2007 the Environmental Working Group released a report documenting the presence of bisphenol A, a known endocrine disruptor that leeches from enamel-lined food cans, in the US food supply. Eden does not use enamel-lined cans for most of its products (the only exception being tomato-based foods), and was subsequently recommended by agencies including the Center for Science in the Public Interest as a safer option for canned food.[10][11][12] However, a November 2009 Consumer Reports investigation revealed that Eden's "BPA free" canned beans do contain trace amounts of the chemical.[13]
In a 2005 study, Eden's canned refried beans were rated best in nutritional value among commercial refried beans by Men's Health Magazine.[14]