Enjoy Life Foods has become the first food company in the U.S. to receive Palm Oil Free Certification for its newest product launches from the International Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme (POFCAP). The brand’s new Grain & Seed Bars, the only bars on the market to combine three types of the ancient grain sorghum, are the first to receive the certification; and its plant-based Protein Bites will follow in June, for a total of eight SKUs in all.

“Palm oil is one of the most commonly used ingredients in U.S. food products, and as awareness of the devastating impact its conventional production has on our planet continues to grow, we feel it’s important to lead by example. Our goal is to demonstrate that there are opportunities to create delicious foods without having to utilize an ingredient that increasingly more consumers are looking to avoid,” said Joel Warady, general manager and chief sales & marketing officer at Enjoy Life Foods. “While several global food brands have made commitments to source sustainable palm oils—ourselves included—we believe that we can take our quest for sustainability to the next level. That’s why we made the choice to develop Grain & Seed Bars without palm oil and reformulated our Protein Bites using eco-friendly alternatives that achieve incredible taste and texture without the use of palm oil. Our certifications are the cornerstone to building trust with our loyal consumers while being transparent about each and every ingredient that goes into creating our delicious free-from foods.”

Palm oil is the most used vegetable oil in the world, according to World Wildlife Fund, and is found in everything from ice cream to laundry detergent. Unfortunately, conventional production has resulted in significant negative environmental and social impact, including large-scale deforestation that’s endangering the future of orangutans. In 2017, The New York Times reported that the Bornean orangutan’s population had declined by more than 80 percent in the last 75 years largely because of habitat loss. That’s why Enjoy Life made a commitment early on to use Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Certified palm oil and has now taken a step further to achieve Palm Oil Free Certification. For existing product lines that use palm oil, RSPO Certification contributes to the production of sustainable palm oil and limitation of negative impacts to the environment sourcing.

“Enjoy Life Foods’ track record as a credible leader in the food industry makes us proud to call them our first partner in the U.S. market,” said Bev Luff, program manager at Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme. “Our certification ensures that a product is 100 percent palm oil free, which takes the guesswork out of the equation for shoppers who value sustainable options. We’re excited to continue expanding our mission in the U.S. and beyond, just as we have in Australia and the U.K.”  

No stranger to setting new industry standards, Enjoy Life was also the first brand to achieve Gluten Free Certification by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) for all of its products, and has a full portfolio of 70+ foods that are Non-GMO Project Verified, kosher and free-from 14 allergens (wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, casein, soy, egg, sesame, sulfites, lupin, mustard, fish, shellfish, and crustaceans). Almost 90 percent of its products are Certified Vegan.

Enjoy Life Grain & Seed Bars retail for $4.69/box of five one-ounce bars, while Protein Bites retail for $6.99/6.4-ounce bag. To learn more about Enjoy Life Foods and its ingredients, visit www.EnjoyLifeFoods.com.

Related: 2017 Bakery of the Year: Enjoy Life Foods, Exclusive interview: Q&A with Enjoy Life Foods