For Garden of Life® to launch an animal protein, the entire system had to be different from other “so-called" grass fed protein. We needed a holistic approach to our protein that started at the farm and traced every metric straight through to the tub. Our search ultimately ended in Ireland with Glanbia, a coop of 4,800 generational family farmers whose herds feed only in green pastures.
Glanbia shared our passion for creating a “Truly Grass Fed” Certification since they have been grass feeding their cows for generations. That’s where the new industry leading Truly Grass Fed™ Certification project came from. We are participating in the creation of a new worldwide auditing standard that measures the holistic system, verifying its three key elements:
1. Truly pasture raised cows are fed grass year-round.
2. Truly sustainable farms are in balance with the environment, maintaining their low ratio of cows per acre and minimizing their environmental impact with measured low carbon emissions.
3. Truly humane farmers treat their cows well, with only the highest animal welfare practices.
By leading the way, with Truly Grass-Fed Certification, we are proving to everyone it is possible to do better, for the cows, the environment and ultimately, our health.
Truly Grass-Fed Dairy is:
Fully Traceable
Every cow in Ireland has a unique number that is recorded in a central government-managed database to monitor her whereabouts throughout her life. Additionally, every Truly Grass-Fed farmer has a unique barcode that enables us to track where every single batch of milk comes from. That’s just two more ways that we go the extra mile—from our farms, to your table.
Minimally Processed
“Undenatured” is basically just dairy-industry talk for “as close to nature as it gets.” Protein is optimized in its most undenatured form, so we carefully control our processing temperatures—we use cold processing—to ensure that our products maintain the highest possible levels of undenatured protein. Additionally, we do not use any acid or bleach in our manufacturing process.
Microfiltered
Truly Grass Fed products go through an advanced microfiltration system that separates out key elements of the dairy and concentrates the natural purity of the end product.
Safe and Pasteurized
In compliance with food safety regulations, all raw milk is pasteurized to ensure it is safe for your enjoyment. In addition, each farm’s milk is tested numerous times from pick-up through processing to ensure it contains no impurities and meets the high standards of the Truly Grass-Fed name.
Sustainable
The quality of our products is a reflection of our relationship to our world. We are constantly striving to do better, be better and achieve a truly sustainable milk supply with a minimal carbon footprint. That’s why we created our Truly Grass-Fed Sustainability Program in which our farms are certified to the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS) which is part of Origin Green, Ireland’s national sustainability initiative.
