Why does Earthbound Farm source some of its produce outside of the U.S.? Can I trust these products, and are they safe to eat?

To maintain a year-round supply, during the winter months approximately 95 percent of the lettuce sold in the United States is grown in southeastern California, southern Arizona and northern Mexico. With regards to our frozen line, nearly 40 percent of our raw ingredients are sourced from North America, while the rest is sourced from a variety of international locations to provide the greatest variety and quality of produce. Earthbound Farm products are also always labeled with country of origin.

It’s important to keep in mind that all food that bears the USDA organic seal has been grown and produced in accordance with the USDA organic standards (or equivalent*) and certified by an independent certifying agency, regardless of where in the world it was grown. That means our organic acreage outside of the U.S. must be monitored and certified by an accredited certifying agent. We also follow the same Good Agricultural Practices on our farms outside the U.S. that we do on our farms in the US.

*The United States has negotiated equivalency agreements with several nations, including Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, and Switzerland. The equivalency negotiation is a rigorous process, which includes standards assessments, program reviews, and technical discussions. Under these agreements, certified organic product from the US may be marketed as organic in these foreign markets. Likewise certified organic product from these nations may be sold in the United States.