Although we do have specific sourcing standards in some departments, our philosophy for many years has been to “meet our shoppers where they are on their food journey” when building our product selections. We’ll be taking another big step in that realm later this year as we launch a new program to help you choose the products that are right for you. Nicknamed our “Shop By Attribute Program,” it will involve tagging products with colored icons at shelf and online. These icons will be assigned based on how the product is labeled either on the packaging or through the distributor, so we still recommend doing your own research, especially if you are allergic to specific ingredients. We plan to start with the following attributes:

LOCAL: Products from brands that are headquartered in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan

COOPERATIVELY OWNED: Products from brands that operate using the cooperative business model

MINORITY OWNED: Products from brands that are at least 51% owned by a person of color, a person who identifies as female, and/or a person who identifies as LGBTQIA+

HOUSE MADE: Products that are made by our in-house deli or bakery

ORGANIC: Products that hold organic certification

NON GMO: Products that are grown or produced without genetically modified organisms

FAIR TRADE: Products that are sourced from international producers in an ethical and sustainable way

ANTIBIOTIC FREE: Meat products that are raised without the use of antibiotics

HORMONE FREE: Meat products that are raised without the use of artificial growth promotants

GRASS FED: Meat products that are raised on a 100% grass diet

WILD CAUGHT: Seafood that has been caught in freshwater lakes or saltwater oceans

SUSTAINABLY HARVESTED: Seafood that is harvested from open waters in ways that don’t harm the environment or other wildlife

FARM RAISED: Seafood that has been sustainably raised on a farm

VEGETARIAN: Products that contain no meat

PLANT BASED: Products that contain no meat or dairy

GLUTEN FREE: Products that contain no gluten

DAIRY FREE: Products that contain no milk

More about this program will be shared on our website in the coming months. In the meantime, keep an eye out for these icons to start popping up when you’re shopping at our stores!

This article was originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of our bi-monthly newsletter, The Morsel. If you’d like to read more stories like this one and stay up to date on the latest co-op news and events, pick up a print copy in-store on your next grocery run or find more news on our website here.