Originally published July 14 2014
Whole Foods Market (WFM) continues to knowingly sell poison to its customers: Natural News seeks class action law firm to pursue legal action
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
(NaturalNews) Whole Foods Market (WFM) is knowingly selling dietary products which are significantly contaminated with toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and tungsten. Some of these contaminated levels exceed California Proposition 65 limits by nearly 2000%. Click here to see some of the laboratory results of rice protein products, many of which were purchased at Whole Foods in Austin, Texas.
In May of this year, Natural News presented Whole Foods with irrefutable laboratory evidence proving that many of the organic rice protein products sold on their shelves were significantly contaminated with toxic heavy metals. In response to that, Whole Foods has apparently done nothing to halt the practice: to our knowledge, no products have been pulled from shelves, no recalls have been issued, and no public statements warning customers have been issued.
It is astonishing to realize that while Whole Foods will take enormous measures to warn its customers of even a remote possibility of bacterial contamination in a product purchased at its stores, the food retailer remains utterly silent on the issue of known heavy metals contamination in products it sells every single day.
Class action law firm sought to file suit against Whole Foods Market
After waiting more than two months for Whole Foods to take action, Natural News is now seeking a law firm that wishes to pursue class action litigation against WFM for its unethical and potentially hazardous retail practices. Natural News Labs can provide exhaustive laboratory documentation, proof of purchases, archived product samples and copies of correspondence sent to Whole Foods demanding the halt of sales of substantially contaminated rice protein products.
Like many large corporations that put public health at risk, Whole Foods Market refuses to do the right thing until they are forced to do so by the courts. Natural News seeks nothing from this lawsuit attempt other than seeing Whole Foods come clean with its customers and halt the sales of contaminated protein products that exceed reasonable heavy metals limits agreed to by the nation's top protein manufacturers:
Lead limit: 250 ppb
Tungsten limit: 50 ppb
Cadmium limit: 1000 ppb
Mercury limit: 50 ppb
Throughout 2014, products sold at Whole Foods Market stores have substantially exceeded these numbers, putting customer health and safety at risk. This practice is highly irresponsible, unethical and a betrayal of customer trust.
Any law firm that wishes to explore this class action lawsuit against Whole Foods Market may contact Natural News at [email protected] or [email protected]
Natural News urges readers to start saving receipts
In this matter, we believe Whole Foods Market retail practices are deceptive and highly unethical. Because many Natural News readers shop at Whole Foods (as do I), we are now urging all Natural News readers to start saving your Whole Foods receipts so that you may present them in the event of a class action settlement against WFM.
You may, for example, be eligible for a full refund on all rice protein products you purchased at Whole Foods Market over the past few years. Such a settlement depends entirely on the courts, of course, but class action settlements frequently result in similar terms.
Natural News seeks absolutely nothing from this legal action other than to halt a hazardous business practice that places public health at risk.
My May, 2014 letter to Whole Foods Market
When I first delivered laboratory results to Whole Foods, I received an email which essentially stated that because the contaminated products "complied with FDA regulations," the company intended to do nothing about them.
This is akin to stating, "Because selling poison is LEGAL, we will continue to sell poison while keeping it quiet."
What follows is my response to Whole Foods -- a response which has gone entirely unanswered more than 60 days later. As you read this, keep in mind that Natural News also offered to conduct FREE laboratory testing for Whole Foods to spot-check products on their shelves in the interests of public safety.
Whole Foods has so far refused to respond.
I very much appreciate your response to our meeting.
From your email response, however, it does not sound like any substantial action will be taken by Whole Foods Markets to remove the heavy metals contaminated products from store shelves or alert customers to the fact they have been purchasing heavy metals in various rice protein products. Each supplier of these products will consistently claim their products so not present a health or safety issue, so asking manufacturers to assure you of product safety is insufficient. Many of these manufacturers already have highly deceptive labels which violate California law.
Furthermore, the importer of this material consistently lies about the material to the manufacturers, claiming for example that this material is "prop 65 compliant" when it clearly exceeds pro 65 limits by as much as 2000%.
The numbers in the lab tests I shared with you are concentration levels, in ppb. Our laboratory testing methodology is based on EPA 200.8 methodology, modified for food and beverage applications. Our lab uses ICP-MS instrumentation and is in the process of ISO 17025 accreditation. Many of our lab results are validated by outside labs.
I urge you to reconsider taking substantial, meaningful action to halt the sales of these contaminated products. Before the end of May, if no meaningful action is taken by WFM, I will have little choice but to pursue the grassroots action campaign I mentioned to you in our meeting. Natural News has an obligation to the public to push for clean food at every level of the food supply chain, including retailers. The fact that some Whole Foods employees say they have been trained to lie about this heavy metals contamination issue is extremely concerning.
It is highly unethical and irresponsible, in my opinion, for WFM to consider selling products containing high concentrations of toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and tungsten, some of which are linked to cancer and diminished cognitive function (as well as impaired brain development in children). I brought you this issue in good faith, in the hope that Whole Foods would act in a responsible, ethical manner to halt the sales of these contaminated products, and I feel by your response that it is Whole Foods' intention to continue selling these products to unsuspecting customers, with no recalls, no warnings and no effort to educate your customers about the poisons they are consuming.
I understand that millions of dollars are at stake here, but so are millions of lives. If the public cannot trust Whole Foods to tell them the truth about contaminated products containing cancer-causing heavy metals, then a legitimate question will be raised about whether Whole Foods can be trusted at all. Failing to take immediate action to protect your own customers from exposure to these toxic heavy metals would, in my opinion, be a tragic mistake for the Whole Foods Brand and a confirmation to Whole Foods critics that the company cares far more about profits than public health and safety.
I truly believe most Whole Foods customers would be extremely shocked -- even betrayed -- to learn that Whole Foods was openly allowing these products to be sold while failing to take action even when alerted to this fact.
I urge you to take this issue to the Board of Directors for reconsideration, and I hope and pray that Whole Foods will choose the path of transparency and public safety rather than furthering this industry-wide "conspiracy of silence."
Thank you for your consideration,
- Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com
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