We’ve learned the hard way ourselves how important it is to have conversations with companies you do business with about their disclosure policies. My husband Steve is a big fan of hot sauce, the hotter the better! He loves anything and everything that comes with a generous side of heat. When we learned that many hot sauce manufacturers add MSG to their products, we began to read labels carefully before we bought so that we could avoid that common additive.

On one grocery shopping trip, Steve excitedly pointed out the ingredient listing on a popular brand of hot sauce. “This one doesn’t say anything about MSG or natural flavors or anything else! It’s just got the basic simple ingredients!” He delightedly piled a few bottles into the cart and we brought them home, happy to have found a natural option for him.

Delighted with our discovery, we happily passed the news along to friends about this “clean ingredient hot sauce”. We mentioned it to a friend who had significantly more food sensitivities to contend with than we did, and who was also a more experienced veteran of seeking out healthy food options. She contacted the hot sauce manufacturer directly to ask if there were any other “unlisted” ingredients, and explained that she needed to know due to certain food sensitivities in her family.

The company replied to our friend that they would require a note from her doctor before they would tell her what other ingredients were in their hot sauce! Steve sadly resigned himself to never buying another bottle of their product, since the company refused to offer even a basic level of transparency to their customers. This is just one of many examples that we have run into through the years as consumers ourselves, and why we are committed to providing a different experience for our Beeyoutiful friends.

Many companies reveal only the largest quantities of ingredients, while glossing over those ingredients that make up a tiny fraction (usually 2% or less) of the total product. But what if, like our friend, you have a food sensitivity and need to avoid one of those sneaky ingredients, even in minuscule amounts? We’re committed to telling you exactly what’s in our foods, supplements, and skin care in even the smallest concentrations so that you can make the best decision based on complete information.

HOW WE PRACTICE FULL DISCLOSURE AT BEEYOUTIFUL

We don’t hide behind ‘proprietary blends’ to keep certain ingredients or components off of our labels. Every ingredient is listed on every product. Occasionally, you may see wording on our labels that is nonspecific, such as a reference to “natural flavors”. That’s because sometimes due to time of year, sourcing challenges, or available ingredients, there may be variance from one batch to another.

You have our personal promise and professional guarantee to never, ever use such language to hide the presence of MSG or artificial flavors, dyes, or other such unnatural components. If there is ever a concern due to allergies to a specific ingredient and you need to know for certain what’s included in a product’s nonspecific ingredients, please contact our customer service department and we will be glad to do the legwork to verify exactly what is used in the specific batch we currently have available.

We ardently support GMO product and food labeling. All of our current Beeyoutiful products are made with non-GMO ingredients, and most of our supplement products are batch tested to further ensure that there’s no contamination or cross-pollination with genetically modified crops.

HOW TO SEEK FULL DISCLOSURE FROM OTHER COMPANIES

We’ve adopted a few simple policies for ourselves as consumers and encourage you to do the same.

1) Ask any company you do business with if they are a full disclosure company. If they don’t know what that means, clarify it for them. Simply ask, “Is each and every ingredient used in your formulations included on your label? If not, would you be willing to send me a complete ingredient list so I can make an informed decision about your product?” If they keep ingredient information secret due to either policy or proprietary formulations, then you know for sure that you are not dealing with a full disclosure company.

2) If there’s a company that you like that doesn’t have a full disclosure policy, make sure to communicate with them clearly that you will not be able to purchase from them until their policies change. Smart companies listen to their customers, and if honest labeling is what customers want and continually request, then they will be far more willing to adopt better labeling policies and earn your business back.

3) Support companies that respect your rights as a consumer and enable you to make informed decisions about what is in the products that you buy. Let them know that you appreciate this about them; they value your positive feedback tremendously! And share these wonderful product options with your friends.

We are grateful for each and every Beeyoutiful customer that crosses our path, and we’re excited to be part of the grassroots activism and positive changes happening across the nation. The more consumers demand to be respected and fully informed, the more likely companies will be to accommodate, making the marketplace safer and happier for everyone.

–Steph Tallent