Burt's Bees is marketed as a homespun natural brand from Durham, N.C.
Of course, the brand downplays that it was sold in 2007 for nearly $1 billion to mega-corporation Clorox.
Brands like Burt's Bees attract environmentally conscious consumers. They rely on being marketed as local and natural, but many people have no clue that these brands are part of globe-spanning corporations.
Quality often drops as a result.
"It's very common that when an organic food brand is acquired, that the new parent corporation reduces its commitment to organic ingredients and seeks out cheaper substitutes,"says Michigan State University professor Philip Howard, who studies the food system.
We found 19 brands that you think are small-scale artisans — but are really the latest in corporate crunchiness.
Reporting by Kim Bhasin and Patricia Laya, with additional reporting by Alison Griswold.
Mars bought Seeds of Change for an undisclosed amount in 1997.
Seeds of Change was founded as an agriculture company specializing in rare and organically grown seeds back in 1989. After candy giant Mars bought the company in 1997, Seeds of Change was allowed to keep running mostly as it did before.
As part of its green-friendly mission, Seeds of Change operates a research farm near El Guique, New Mexico, along the river valley flood plain of the Rio Grande. Originally located by the Gila Wilderness in the southwestern part of the state, the company relocated after purchasing its new property in 1996.
Hain Celestial bought Garden of Eatin' in 1998.
Garden of Eatin' makes some of the most delicious chips around — the spicy-savory crunch of the Red Hot Blues is without comparison.
"Our all natural chips and snacks are bursting with the highest quality corn, seeds, and spices,"the company says. "Best of all they're as hearty as they are uniquely original."
Organic conglomerate Hain Celestial couldn't resist the crunch, nabbing the company back in 1998.
General Mills bought Cascadian Farm for an undisclosed amount in 1999.
Cascadian Farm used to be famous for its cereals with "no added sugar." A few years ago, this label disappeared from its boxes.
A Cascadian Farm customer said her children noticed a funny new taste in their Purely O's. It turned out the cereal had tripled its sugar count to 3 grams from 1 gram in 2009.
The move was condemned by Cascadian Farm customers, who felt duped and complained the new cereal tasted "dreadful" and looked "disgusting." Some time later, the company posted a note on the back of Purely O's boxes saying it had returned to a recipe with just 1 gram of sugar.
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