1. Since, approximately, November 2012, Legacy Food Storage has promoted that they
are 100% GMO Free. That may be the case but, the details behind the certification
are worth reviewing. Below you will find information that is publicly available
about Legacy and the certifying organization called the Food Quality Council.
Legacy Food Storage is sold Online by sites that are owned or are affiliates of Legacy
Food Storage. They aggressively market food storage by comparative analysis
between Legacy and competitors. The Legacy site is critical many of the major
competitors.
Legacy Food Storage has an official certification document declaring that they are
“100% GMO FREE.” That document is signed by a person named Roger Mickelsen
with a title of “Certified Quality Manager.” This document has a date of 12-4-12. An
image of the certificate can be found below but the certificate can also be found on
the Legacy site here: http://www.legacyfoodstorage.com/index.php/features.html#
Legacy Food Storage creates various sites; many of them have, at some point,
referenced a single PO Box address (PO Box 2070. Salt Lake City, UT 84110). When
pushed, the Legacy team will explain that all of the entities are separate and
different (see an example of how they explain it here:
http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?p=4294557 ).
A Google search of the terms [PO "Box 2070" Salt Lake City, UT "84110" "Food"] will
generate a resulting search of six web domains that have referenced the above
address.
They are:
Freelegacyfood.com
Preparewise.com
Buyemergencyfoods.com
Legacypremiumfoods.com
Legacyfoodstorage.com
Wisefoodinsurance.com
Food Quality Council in Salt Lake City Utah.
Who is behind the Food Quality Council?
The Legal entity under the name of “Food Quality Council, LLC” was filed in Salt Lake
City Utah by Brian L Twede on November 2nd, 2012; that was four weeks before
Legacy received Certification as being “100% GMO Free” (see images from State of
Utah with date and name of registrant).
The Food Quality Council domain was registered on October 31st, 2012, which is 43
days before the 100% GMO Free certification was given to Legacy. Information on
the domain registry for FoodQualityCouncil.org can be found here:

2. http://whois.net/whois/foodqualitycouncil.org . (also see screenshot of the whois
information on the registrant at the time of publishing of this document to be Brian
L Twede.)
The address of record for the Food Quality Council (840 West 1700 South) is also
the address for Twede Photography (see screenshot of contact address for
twede.com along with screenshot of state of Utah registration details).
On the surface, The FoodQualityCouncil.org website reports to be independent and
non-biased with a devotion to enforcing industry standards. The site is registered to
Brian Twede of Salt Lake who is a Professional Photographer. His website and some
of his work can be found at www.twede.com.
Under his gallery of work, one will find a food section. In that food section, there are
images that were, presumably, taken by Brian Twede, but are also used by the
Legacy Food Storage Company to promote their product (see side-by-side images of
pancakes on both the Twede.com website as well as the Legacy website).
If the individual that owns the organization that “certified” the Legacy product line
as being 100% GMO FREE is the same person who is either affiliated, engaged, or
employed by Legacy as a photographer, it would call into serious question Food
Quality Council’s claim of independence.
Even though the Food Quality Council gave their approval to the Legacy product
over 7 months ago (at time of research), they do not promote the certification of any
other organization other than Legacy.
This is somewhat surprising since the charter style statement of the Food Quality
Council states on their website that:
“The Food Quality Council is an organization that is
impartial. Our group doesn't make food, or sell food. We
are the people who will test your food, evaluate it, rate it,
and publish our findings.”
And
“As the time go by, more companies will be added to the
ranks and earn the Food That Stores™ seal of approval.”
(link: http://foodqualitycouncil.org/Food_Quality_Council/About_Us.html ) See screenshot
of the “A Little About Us” page of the Food Quality Council website.

3. GMO testing:
When asked directly about the GMO testing process, the NON GMO Project
(http://www.nongmoproject.org) stated that their testing period takes a minimum
of 6 weeks and can last as long as 6 months.
Seeing that the Food Quality Council was a legal entity for only 4 weeks before
Legacy received “Certification,” it creates concern that the process was
“Independent,” or from a “3rd party” or that it was thorough.
Relative to the process, the NON GMO Project states on their website that certain
“High-risk Crops must be tested every time prior to use in Non-GMO Project Verified
Projects.” This is a very rigorous standard but their certification comes with high
level of certainty that consumers will not be consuming products that have been
genetically modified.
GMO is a hot button issue and one that is very important to a segment of the
population who are determined to not consume anything except NON-GMO goods.
For the NON GMO Project, the High-Risk Crops include some of the ingredients that
Legacy uses. The NON GMO Project states that 88% of the Corn and 94% of the Soy
grown in 2011 were “High Risk.”
Legacy includes on their various sites, on their product packaging, and on their
adverts in a very prominent fashion that they are “Certified 100% GMO FREE” (see
image of promotional banner with an arrow to the Certified badge).
Some industry experts talk about the extremely cost prohibitive and invasive
process of becoming certified as NON-GMO. The expense and rigors create a high
barrier to entry for those who would like to earn certification. With a GMO Free
certification, one company could gather a high percentage of the business from
people who want food storage and want it to be 100% GMO Free. Again, Legacy
might have a product that truly is 100% GMO FREE.
The “Certificate” on the Legacy site from the Food Quality Council certifies with
100% certainty that the product is GMO FREE. Here is the wording that was
transcribed from the certificate:
“The Food Quality Council is aware of increased public concern over the use of
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) in our food supply.
To that end, Food Quality Council has conducted a review of each ingredient used in the
formulation of Legacy Premium Food Storage products. During this review process,
Food Quality Council has requested, compiled, and examined documents provided by
the manufacturers of each ingredient used in the manufacturing of Legacy Premium
products – specifically regarding each suppliers’ position related to the use of Non-GMP

4. and GMO-Free components in formulation of the ingredients which are used in the
Legacy Premium products.
After careful review of over two hundred original documents, covering each ingredient
used in the production of Legacy Premium Food Storage products, we are able to certify
this line of products GMO Free.”
It appears that the analysis by the Food Quality Council required for certification of
“100% GMO Free” was completed by a review of documentation from the
manufacturer of the ingredients with out a reference to the types of tests that
performed by organizations like NON GMO Project.
Summary points:
 Legacy Food owns or affiliates with the owners of various websites.
 Legacy states that they are “Certified 100% GMO FREE.”
 Industry experts question the possibility that the products are Certified as
being 100% GMO FREE in the same way that other product are certified by
other certifying agencies.
 A certification of Legacy offering a product that is 100% GMO FREE is
documented to come from the Food Quality Council in Salt Lake City and
Legacy appears to have no other validation referenced.
 Brian Twede created the Food Quality Council as a legal entity in the State of
Utah on November 2nd, 2012.
 December 4th, 2012 is the date of signature of the 100% GMO FREE
certificate for Legacy Food; that is 4 weeks after the legal entity was formed.
 Even though the NON GMO Project stated that their testing process takes a
minimum of 6 weeks and can last up to 6 months, The Food Quality Council
Certified Legacy as 100% GMO FREE 4 weeks after opening their doors.
 Brian Twede who is a photographer in Salt Lake City with experience in food
photography and some of the Food photos profiled on Brian Twede’s website
are also on the Legacy website to promote the Legacy product.
 If there were a professional or financial relationship between the Food
Quality Council and Legacy, it would contradict the claim of independence.
 The GMO Free certificate suggests that the certification was based on a
review of documentation and not a test of the individual ingredients for
Genetic Modification.
 This is an important issue. In the Food Quality Councils own words: “The
Food Quality Council is aware of increased public concern over the use of
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) in our food supply.”
 The relationship between Legacy and the Food Quality Council appears
convenient in its timing, its connections, and potentially its standards for
independence and certification.
 The analysis by the Food Quality Council appears to be exclusive to the
Legacy product.

5. Certification from the Food Quality Council to Legacy Premium Food Storage:

6. Google search of PO Box 2070 and the 84110 and the term “Food”

7. Food Quality Council Registered Agent from the State of Utah Agent Address. Both
the Registered address and the address of Twede Photography are the same.

8. Whois information at the time of research on the Food Quality Council:

9. Food images of the Legacy product can also be found on the Twede.com website:
Closer look at the Pancakes- looks identical.

10. Claim of impartiality of the Food Quality Council and charter style comments about
purpose to impartially review other products even though Legacy has the only
product that is profiled.

11. Certified 100% GMO FREE badge found with the legacy product on a website along
with a promotional image showing the GMO badge on the packet of Legacy food.