Vitacost.com Inc., a leading online retailer of health and wellness products, today announced the launch of a Non-Genetically Modified or Non-GMO specialty store on its website. The Company also announced that it has partnered with the noprofit organization the Non-GMO Project. The Non-GMO storefront showcases more than 2,200 organic food items, vitamins, supplements and other products with items obtaining Non-GMO Project verification identified by the organization's special logo. To receive verification from the Non-GMO Project, a brand must demonstrate best practices for non-GMO manufacturing to avoid cross-contamination with other GMO-containing ingredients. This process is stricter than what a brand must go through to demonstrate that a product is organic.

"As North America's only third-party verifier of non-GMO food and products, we are thrilled to team up with Vitacost to provide customers a simple, reliable way to find food and supplements that are Non-GMO Project verified," said Non-GMO Project Executive Director Megan Westgate.

"Today's consumer wants to avoid products containing GMOs, but there is tremendous confusion when it comes to identifying which products are in fact free of bioengineered ingredients," stated David Zucker, Ph.D., chief marketing officer of Vitacost. "By joining forces with the Non-GMO Project to create a storefront devoted specifically to GMO-free products, we can offer customers the organic, natural products they are seeking--with the added bonus of a more affordable price tag."

To learn more about the growing interest in non-GMO products among today's consumer, Vitacost recently conducted a representative national poll of more than 1,629 men and women. If given a choice between two similar products--one labeled "non-GMO" and one without this label—61 percent of those polled said they would choose the non-GMO product.

Brands listed in Vitacost's non-GMO storefront include products from third party providers such as Eden Foods, KIND, Larabar, Annie's Homegrown, Simply Organic, Amy's Organic, Earth's Best, Coconut Secret, Arrowhead Mills, Garden of Life, Raw Revolution and Pamela's Products.

In addition, several of Vitacost's own branded VMHS products and the Company's recently launched proprietary line of whole food-based, non-GMO supplements can also be found in the Non-GMO store. Vitacost Whole Food products are 100 percent vegetarian, made with non-GMO ingredients, free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives and use no chemical fillers, binders or stearates. Currently, the Vitacost Whole Food line consists of seven SKUs with an expanded roll-out expected during this year. For more information, please visit vitacost.com/non-GMO.