General Mills Buys Annie’s Homegrown, Anti-GMO Proponents Go Berserk

[HuckleB]

Last edited Thu Sep 11, 2014, 12:46 PM - Edit history (1)

http://groundedparents.com/2014/09/10/gm-buys-annies-anti-gmo-proponents-go-berserk/

"The news broke a couple days ago: General Mills will buy Annie’s Homegrown for $820 million. This is no big deal, figuratively speaking. Yes it’s a close to billion dollar deal, but companies get bought and sold all the time.

If you’re unfamiliar with Annie’s Homegrown, it makes “all-natural,” “healthy,” organic, GMO-free packaged foods like pastas, cookies, crackers, and frozen meals. They’re considerably pricier than their counterparts, and marketed to parents that buy into an all-natural lifestyle. Fair enough. I certainly won’t pay a premium for boxed foods purporting to be “healthier” than other boxed foods, but I certainly don’t knock a business for capitalizing on a demographic that will.

I should have been surprised (but wasn’t) over the raving commotion on social media about Annie’s selling out to a supposedly uncaring, pro-GMO conglomerate. I can’t possibly include all of the hubbub in this post, but here’s a representative Facebook thread.

I broadly categorized much of the backlash after perusing the uproar. I can only broadly categorize because the sheer volume of hostile comments is astounding. I’ll discuss a typical comment from each category. I’m not going to post the screen caps, but feel free to pore over the Annie’s Facebook page, you’ll see them.

..."


I'm really starting to wonder about humans. One big boxed food company bought out another big boxed food company. And, therefore, the latter lost its soul? Wait? What? Companies have souls?

What's even more bizarre is the number of posters to Annie's site are crowing about how they will fight big corporation by going to spend their money at Whole Foods? Again. Wait? What?

And, finally, some of the folks who responded to Annie's page actually threw away the Annie's food they had at home. Talk about privilege beyond all logic. Food scarcity is clearly not something they encounter.

End rant.

[Zorra]

1. General Mills buys Annie's, Monsanto trolls flood the internet with more propaganda. nt

[HuckleB]

2. Awwww. The shill gambit hits the board right off the bat.

It is a great confession, and I appreciate you're offering it up.

[Archae]

3. The only "propaganda" I keep seeing is from the anti-GMO hysterics.

Loaded terms and phrases like "Frankenfoods poisoning us."

"Monsanto trolls" used to describe anyone who doesn't buy "organic."

[HuckleB]

18. Ah, but those statements are supported by a consensus of peer reviewed literature!

Try to keep up!

Cheers!

[ann---]

4. Looks like I won't be buying

that brand any more. The products are pricey, but good, however, I will not buy them any more. Lots of other natural brands that are less expensive and just as good.

[HuckleB]

5. Why?

The natural food companies charge a premium for products that are actually not better, and they do so by pushing fear upon the public. I find that to be rather unethical, at best.

[upaloopa]

8. You are entitled to your opinion whether informed or not.

People need to research these issues and make choices for themselves. There certainly is a lot of lies, deceit and truth out there. It is almost impossible to know what is what. When a person makes a choice for themselves and it is different from the one you made for yourself, you are not right in ridiculing them.

[closeupready]

11. Truth, schmooth. Truth is for cowards. Lies are profitable.

on the first two parts there, not the last part.

[HuckleB]

13. How am I ridiculing anyone in that post?

Also, we despise fear mongering by certain circles. Shouldn't we despise it when companies utilize it to scare people into buying their product, even though there is justification for the fears they are creating with their marketing plans?

[upaloopa]

16. Saying it is fear mongering is ridicule

That is your opinion and nothing more.

[HuckleB]

17. That's your opinion.

I would say your posts are ridiculing me, and ridiculing something that is quite clear if you understand how the natural food companies market themselves.

It is easy to push fear, and the use of fear leads to outlandish hyperbole. Look at the over-the-top responses people had to Annie's FB page. Those are the very definition of ugly, fear-based ridicule. Please don't pretend otherwise.

[ann---]

10. Because the company

sold out and I'm sure the product will not remain "natural" as it is advertised to be. In other words, I don't trust it and will buy another brand.

[HuckleB]

15. How can you trust other companies any more than this one?

The entire "natural food" industry is based on causing unjustified fears in consumers. Knowing that, I cannot trust those companies.

[katmondoo]

6. Annie's is not that great

I bought a few different items and never felt they were worth the hype.

[HuckleB]

7. Processed food is processed food.

We keep a couple boxes of the sharp cheddar mac, and we make it once in a while for our kids' school lunch, mixed with some tuna, uh, when we're in a massive hurry in the morning. It only takes a few more minutes to make a better mac not from a box, but some mornings. Well, some mornings are some mornings, and the boy likes taste in his cheese.

Anyway, yup.

[closeupready]

9. +1. In fact, I felt their white cheddar mac-n-cheese underwhelmed

in comparison with standard Kraft, or even generic. Similarly with other products in their offerings, so this doesn't impact my purchasing decisions.

[ann---]

12. Actually,

Wegman's has both a "regular" mac and cheese and a "natural" mac and cheese in a box that is twice the price, but still cheaper than Annie's.

[closeupready]

14. Really? Wow. Well there you go - I like the IDEA of what

Annie's was trying to do - I just wasn't sold on the purported qualitative difference, and when you throw in the pricing issue, it was totally no sale for me.

And anyway, I've changed my diet dramatically over the last year, and essentially no longer eat pasta, so that's a second reason this won't impact my purchasing decisions.

Cheers.