Eden Foods, Inc., (also known as Eden Organic) is an organic food company based in Clinton, Michigan. It is best known for its Edensoy line of organic soy milk, and its line of organic Japanese foods and condiments. The company claims to be the oldest independent organic food producer in the United States, and the largest supplier of organic dry grocery items. Eden was founded in 1969 as a co-op grocery store in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

, to continue the operations of a defunct macrobiotic food buying club. Originally incorporated as a nonprofit, it became a for-profit company in 1970. In 1972, the company began importing Japanese foods such as

miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and ''kōji'' (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae'') and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spread ...

and

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...

for both the retail and commercial markets. Many of Eden's Japanese foods are still sourced in Japan. Most of Eden Food's products are organic, most are certified

kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...

, and most are

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...

, except for their

katsuo Katsuo (written: , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese basketball player *, Japanese boxer *, Japanese boxer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese sumo wrestler *, Japanese actor *, Japanese l ...

(Japanese fish flakes). Many of Eden's prepared foods are also

gluten-free A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat (and all of its species and hybrids, such as spelt, kamut, and triticale), as well as barley, rye, and oats. The inclus ...

, and have therefore been recommended for those on a gluten-free or gluten-free casein-free ( GFCF) diet.

Products

Soy milk

In 1997, an independent test by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' looking for traces of

GMO A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...

s in 11 soy and corn-based products found Eden's milk to be the only product that tested clean, a finding that Eden Foods attributed to their extensive certification and testing program. In 2020, Organic Unsweetened Edensoy soy milk won the Lausanne Index Prize - Environmental Possibility Prize.

Soy sauce

In 2001, Eden shoyu

was rated highest for flavor by ''

Cook's Illustrated ''Cook's Illustrated'' is an American cooking magazine published every two months by the America's Test Kitchen company in Brookline, Massachusetts. It accepts no advertising and is characterized by extensive recipe testing and detailed instructi ...

'' in a comparison of 12 brands. In 2007, Eden's tamari was rated best out of seven brands tested in a comparison conducted by the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'' for its "Taster's Choice" column.

Extra virgin olive oil

In 1999, '' Prevention Magazine'' rated Eden's "Extra Virgin Spanish Olive Oil" highest in flavor and protective nutrients out of the 22 brands of extra virgin olive oil studied.

Canned food

Eden uses

BPA BPA may refer to: Organizations *BPA Worldwide, an organization that audits circulation figures for mass media *Banca Privada d'Andorra *Bangladesh Police Academy *Blue Panorama Airlines, ICAO code *Bonneville Power Administration, a U.S. power ...

-free enamel-lined cans for most of its products (the only exception being tomato-based foods), and was subsequently recommended by the Center for Science in the Public Interest as a safer option for canned food. In a 2005 study, Eden's canned refried beans were rated best in nutritional value among commercial refried beans by '' Men's Health'' Magazine.

Controversy

Infant formula charges

In 1988 CEO Michael Potter was charged and later served 30 days in jail on misdemeanor charges for misrepresenting Edensoy soy milk as an infant formula. The suit was brought after a Canadian infant developed a rare eye and bone disorder as a result of vitamin deficiency from being fed the product. The child's physician later reported the patient to have "completely recovered".

Employee healthcare

In March 2013, Eden Foods filed suit against the Obama administration seeking an exemption from the mandate to cover contraception for its employees under the

Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...

. According to the company's CEO Michael Potter, providing access to any form of contraceptives would violate his beliefs as a Catholic. (This stance against all types of birth control differs from Hobby Lobby's refusal to cover several types of contraception.) Eden Foods lost its suit in both the District Court and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals (''Eden v. Sebelius''), and appealed to the Supreme Court. The ''

Burwell v. Hobby Lobby ''Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.'', 573 U.S. 682 (2014), is a landmark decision in United States corporate law by the United States Supreme Court allowing privately held for-profit corporations to be exempt from a regulation its owners relig ...

'' decision by the

US Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...

on 30 June 2014 overrules the lower courts. The next day, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, ''Eden Foods v. Burwell''. In response, some customers urged a boycott of the company on popular

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

websites, as well as the company's own

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page.

Trademark infringement lawsuit

In October 2021, Eden Foods, Inc. filed suit against Eden Burger Ltd., a single-location vegan burger restaurant located on the campus of the Ohio State University, alleging infringement of Eden Foods's trademark on the word "Eden." Notably, although the Eden Foods, Inc. complaint notes Eden Foods's possession of trademarks on the word "Eden" for use in conjunction with the sale of numerous prepackaged food products, it does not appear to claim that Eden Foods possesses a trademark on the word "Eden" in the context of restaurants and catering.

Sexual harassment lawsuit

In April 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against the owner/president of Eden Foods for repeatedly harassing female workers and ignoring complaints about his behavior.

References

{{reflist

External links

Eden Foods
- official website Organic farming organizations Food and drink companies established in 1969 Vegetarian companies and establishments of the United States 1969 establishments in Michigan Food and drink companies based in Michigan