At the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists tradeshow, a supplier of non-GMO ingredients told me that the “non-GMO tsunami is coming.”
Based on the growth of the non-GMO market in the past two years, that tsunami is already here. Sales of Non-GMO Project verified products have topped $11 billion per year, and now number more than 29,500. According to a report by Food Processing, new products with non-GMO claims increased by 45 percent in 2014.
With this rapid growth, can the supply of non-GMO grains and ingredients meet the exploding demand? Industry experts say yes. Kellie James, CEO of Mercaris, a market data service for non-GMO and organic grains, said that some non-GMO corn and soybeans are being sold as conventional, or stored in the hopes that premiums or buyers will increase at a later date.
“More farmers have grown than there is demand for,” said James, whose company is trying to fill the need for accurate reporting of non-GMO supply.
Lynn Clarkson, president of Clarkson Grain, agrees. “Supply is up 25 percent, and demand is up 15-20 percent. I don’t think there is a danger of non-GMO supplies running out.”
Nate Yates, business director with Ingredion, sees a tighter supply situation. “It’s not an unlimited supply. But for what we have wanted, we have not had a challenge sourcing raw material,” he said.
Overall, non-GMO ingredients can cost around 20 percent more than their conventional counterparts, he said.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Can the Ingredient Supply Chain Keep up With The “Non-GMO Tsunami?”
