Many people ask us why our products aren't Organic Certified. It's a fair question, in a misleading marketing world, and to be honest, prior to Golden Grind, we would always have demanded the same.

Organic products are super important for many reasons (so much so we are actually going to write a separate post on this so keep an eye out). Generally speaking, they are traditionally grown, have higher nutritional value, protect the natural properties of the land and help the consumer avoid nasty chemicals and pesticides.

It has always been a promise of ours to provide products made from organic ingredients and we continue to do so. But in this day and age, how can consumers be sure they are receiving true organic products?

Fortunately, the Australian Certified Organic (ACO) has a process that guarantees the truthfulness of this statement for each individual product on the market. You may have seen their logo indicating that a product is ACO registered, which is great. 

Although, something we didn't realise, and many people don't, is that in order for a product to be approved, the whole manufacturing process it goes through must be "organically certified". From the ingredients (of course) to the blending, the packing and the storing, and any other steps that may come in the processing line. 

Unfortunately, due the regimented nature of this process, for us this means although our ingredients are 100% organic certified and treated, our packing facility is not, and has meant a long and expensive process for us to overcome if we want to be ACO.

We pack all of our products at a facility called HiCity that supports disabled employment and supporting them is SUPER important to us also. A non negotiable to move away from for us. You see, a member of our family suffers from severe mental illness and although he isn't able to work at the moment a place like HiCity does allow him that opportunity. 

In addition, they are the nicest bunch of people to work with, and we have genuinely fallen in love with our frequent visits. And they're great at what they do. 

So, we are currently undergoing the steps to help get this facility certified. They already practice the right techniques and the ingredients are all kept separately and sterile to ensure they are 100% organic and unaffected so it should be fairly straight forward and not long now, which in turn should mean our product certifications are not that far away. As for most things, it's just a matter of time and money. 

SO we ask you to please be patient in this process and trust us when we say, our ingredients are 100% organic in nature. 

In the meantime, we chatted with Tina from HiCity quickly about her role and the importance of disability employment. 

Happy reading and STAY GOLD

Hey! What's your name and your organisation/role?

Tina Marsh / Packaging Facility Supervisor.

How does HiCity benefit the community.

HiCity provides employment to people with disability who otherwise would not be employed in most circumstances in an open employment environment.

Best part of your job? 

Working with People who have a disability. Never a dull moment.

How important are work employment places like HiCity? 

I personally believe that organisation’s like HiCity are very important as they provide opportunity for people with disability to contribute to the community.

Funniest moment of your job? 

One of our supported employees whilst mowing lawns fell in the swimming pool with the lawn mower. We had to go in and fish out the lawn mower that was still running. He was not hurt.

One place you would love to holiday? 

One day I would love to visit Egypt. I have always loved the history behind the pyramids!