do-you-buy-from-sunfoodcom-better-think-twice.

[sport]

http://rawchefdan.typepad.com/rawchefdan/2010/02/do-you-buy-from-sunfoodcom-better-think-twice.html

I am reposting this from another forum because it needs to be read.

[christinajade]

wow..thanks. Glad I haven't bought anything from them. :(

[Aleesha Sattva]

thanks sport... good to know!

[RawKnitster]

Interesting. Good to know. I haven't bought from them for years because of the high prices. I still get weekly emails from Sunfood. I had to look back and see, David Wolfe is nowhere to be found on Sunfood's email. The site still sells his books and has testimonies about him, but I don't see any of his writings on there.

The fact that "raw" cacao is not raw shouldn't be a surprise at this point. The word is out that almost all "raw" cacao is processed at temps around 200 degrees. The store I shop at found a truly raw cacao from Bali. It is completely different from standard "raw" cacao. It has a very mocha like flavor.

[klomasius]

Can someone post the contents of the link in this thread? I can't access the link as I'm at work.

[Aleesha Sattva]

here it is:


February 25, 2010

Do you Buy From Sunfood.com? Better think twice!

So I just got this today from my friend on Facebook Chef Believe, evidently passed on from Vanessa Johansson http://www.meetup.com/slc-rawfood-superheroes-com/members/5900104/

As I never really trusted Sun Food and their over bloated prices this comes to my inbox. Please read and repost as much as possible.

__________________________________________________ __________________________
I have been meaning to post this for a month now and finally have found a moment to do so.
As some of you know I have been investigating the raw cacao industry and raw powder and butter in particular. You heard it here first that basically every cacao product on the market today is actually cooked, and as of right now Essential Living Foods, Big Tree Organics and the paste from Ultimate Superfoods (not the powder) is actually a raw product.

Well, I have a grand finale to this story. After many conversations and emails I have discovered some important info about Sunfood, David Wolfes company.

First of all, it is not David Wolfes company.

As of at least 12 months ago, it has been owned by Doug Harbison, a non raw foodist non superhero cooked wonder bread old school business executive. David Wolfe makes no money off of Sunfood and owns no stock in Sunfood. He tried to get Sunfood off of cooked chocolate products and the owners would not listen to him. In fact, they have over 8 lawsuits against David Wolfe.

I spoke to the current owner of Sunfood...

I spoke to the current owner of Sunfood multiple times and here is what he told me:
He does not care if the cacao powder and butter are agave and yacon are cooked products. He said that I am the only person who has called to complain so he thinks that people are still satisfied with these products. Hmmm...
He also told me that he believes that Essential living Foods is lying about their products being cooked. I asked him why a company would self destruct like this and he said he didnt know but he thought they were lying. I asked him why they would lose so many accounts and jeopardize their own investment and he said he didn't know but he really thought that their product was raw and they were making up a story about it being cooked.

Hmmmm....

He finally said that he was sending his buddy Brian from Sunfood down to investigate himself. I asked him why he thought that they would be let in to the manufacturing facility without being a customer, when Essential Living Foods who is actually a customer was not allowed to step foot into the facility. He could not answer me.
He promised to get back to me over month ago with a resolution for one customer, myself, who has spent a fortune on what I was told and promised was the best of the best and come to find out it was cooked and fraudulently sold to me. I havent had any reply.

They knew it was cooked. They still know it is cooked. He doesn't care!

So, I have Doug Harbisons private email and cell phone number. I would like all 286 members on this site to personally call this inflated buffoon and let hm know that you do in fact care that his products are being sold fraudulently, that his raw chocolate is not raw, and that you will no longer support Sunfood nor will you purchase their products anymore. Let him know that what could be the impetus for the tipping point on this planet is being turned into a farce by a few corrupt and greedy individuals such as himself, and that many curious and in need people are being turned off of the raw food movement as a tool for health and consciousness because they dont feel that it is trust worthy and anything other than a hoax. Say whatever you want actually but let this man know that you are not sheeple and will demand truth, integrity, and quality ad will vote with your dollars. Lets not let one bad apple spoil the beauty and truth of this lifestyle choice.

Fill up and flood this mans email and voicemail with your voices!!!!

In my opinion, Sunfood has lost the plot, and is completely out of integrity and should not be supported in any manner and the word should be spread like wild fire through the Superhero network.
I happily provide you now with his private contact information.

DOUG HARBISON
doug@sunfood.com
314-422-0206

Repost this on as many forums as you can folks. Ready-Set-GO!!!

Posted by Raw Chef Dan on February 25, 2010 at 04:59 PM in Alternative News, chef, chocolate, coacoa, Current Affairs, Dan Hoyt, Daniel Hoyt, Diet, disease, Food and Drink, healing, Health, health food, Hoyt, life food, macca, natural, Organic, Raw & Living Food, Raw Chef Dan, raw food, Recipes, restaurant, Science, Superfoods, Sustainable, vegetarian | Permalink
Technorati Tags: David Wolf, Food, Organic, Raw Chocolate
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Comments


whoa thanks for the heads up on Sunfoods

Posted by: Mesothelioma | June 23, 2010 at 04:13 PM


Thanks for the great info on Sunfoods. And I enjoy reading the information on your website!

Posted by: Frank Folklorama | June 02, 2010 at 03:04 PM


Thanks for the great info on Sunfoods Dan. And I love the information on your website in general!

Another source I frequently use is Wilderness Family Naturals. They're just totally awesome to deal with and have the highest integrity in their products.

Posted by: IGetPaid4WhoIAm | May 12, 2010 at 01:17 PM


I'm curious about a brand called Navitas Naturals that has shown up recently at my local health food store. They claim that all of their cacao products are raw, and I haven't found any evidence to the contrary online so far. Is this another company that is actually selling cooked cacao products?

Posted by: Chris A. | April 14, 2010 at 11:14 AM


Interesting that someone has caught on to this. I have more dirt on this than you would believe. Doug Harbison is the son of Earl Harbison, former CEO of MONSANTO. His brother owns a plastic bottling manufacturing plant.

Doug engineered a hidden take over of Sunfood and all of its assets, and screwed investors out of several million dollars (and screwed David Wolfe also). But David's name is one of the assets of the company, so they can continue to use his name and he cannot do much about it.

I have talked to Doug many times, have many emails from him and his lawyers, and have personally heard one of his lawyers tell one of the investors who got ripped off to "go pound sand".

It is no surprise that they don't care about the integrity of food products they are selling.

I know that David now personally uses cacao from another company.

Posted by: Just call me Raw Throat | April 07, 2010 at 04:49 PM


thanks for the great info. I'm glad I found your blog

Posted by: green papaya | March 27, 2010 at 05:55 AM


Just an addition to my earlier comment. I have posted the emails between myself and Sunfoods on our blog. The simple fact is that Sunfood only desire to make money...at any cost. The company the David Wolfe started is not the company you see today.

http://www.thegreenapartmentblog.com/truth-in-advertising-and-why-i-no-longer-use-sunfood-products/

Posted by: Kenneth Crawford | March 18, 2010 at 05:11 PM


Hello,

I just came across your article tonight as I am getting ready to post one myself. I once thought very highly of Sunfood, however because of the many questions I had emailed them directly and exchanged many emails with a Aaron Howard at Sunfood.

My personal issue is really not whether or not cacao is raw. Raw or not, it still maintains some of the highest antioxident levels without being slathered in a bunch of corn syrup and preservatives. My issue is really TRUTH in advertising. Honest people are spending their hard earned money on a product being labeled as raw when in fact it is not. I find it interesting too with the timing of your conversations as well as my emails with Sunfood. I will have my post up on Monday because I will really need to tone down my personal emotions over this matter.

Bottom line is this: Although the cacao product Sunfood is marketing may be beneficially healthy it is not the RAW product they claim it to be. Quite frankly there are other well deserving raw food suppliers that will not allow themselves to become the next Big Business Pharmeceutical that concern themselves more with the bottom line than the health and well-being of society. Sunfood really has no business being in business if they cannot just come clean and say that the cacao is not raw. But, until the veils are lifted from the eyes of the masses, they will not. It is my personal quest to do whatever it takes through the power of the pen and word of mouth to place a huge decline into Sunfoods 2010 bottom line figures.

Posted by: Kenneth Crawford | March 17, 2010 at 10:37 PM

[klomasius]

Thanks muchly for that Aleesha. :)

I had known for sometime that David did not own Sunfoods and that there was a hostile transfer of ownership and a pretty unfair 'use of name' deal brokered. And quite a number of other things that have not been mentioned here that are pretty devious and shady.

Didn't know much about the background of the owner though...

I'd been meaning to buy a few things from sunfood recently but will stick with my local stuff... I do not want to support a company who knowingly LIE about the raw status of their products.

[TaupeRawMan]

After many phone calls and e-mails with Navitas Naturals for friends interested in Cacao, I think they are a good source. The temperature on theirs never goes above 118 degrees F.

[laLune]

David Wolfe wrote this on his facebook page yesterday:


Many of you may be aware that Sunfood.com has been using my name and likeness on labels, online ads, on packages, videos, and articles WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. I have officially and repeatedly requested (since March 8, 2010) that they remove any reference to me or my work in all formats from ...their products, website, and YouTube site. They have refused. What do you think I should do???

http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Wolfe/102515706511

[klomasius]

Their refusal to stop using David's name and likeness for their own profit at his request is enough not to buy from them.

I think it's official, there's no longer any soul in that company. I've heard way too much over and above this stuff to even think about buying from them.

[Shels]

So, it's only the cacao, agave and yacon that aren't raw, right? (I realize that the idea here is to boycott the company entirely for lying, etc, but I don't have many options as far as selection or budget).

[Eva]

Shels,

I have found http://www.organiclivingfood.com to be a good source for many raw products and a very pleasant/ethical company in general. I've been ordering from them since 2007 with no drama and am a happy buyer.

If it's a help, Alissa probably has some of the products you would want as well.

:)