RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ: RIBT) and (RIBTW), a global leader in the production and marketing of value-added products derived from rice bran, announced that its rice bran ingredients have passed an independent verification process from the Non-GMO Project and will now carry the Non-GMO Project Verified seal. This seal lets consumers and food manufacturers know that RBT’s RiBran food ingredients come from rice that has not been genetically modified.

Janet Balson, vice president of compliance, regulatory and external affairs at RiceBran Technologies, commented, “We are pleased to receive independent verification that our rice bran food ingredients are free of genetically modified organisms, and we have begun placing the Non-GMO Verified seal on our products. This is a significant milestone for our Company in that it highlights a major benefit of our nutrient-dense rice bran products for customers and manufacturers looking to source food ingredients that are Non-GMO, free of known allergens, natural, minimally processed, vegetarian, vegan and derived from a renewable and sustainable sources.”

The Non-GMO Project third-party verification program began in 2008 as an initiative of independent food retailers who were interested in providing their customers with more information regarding genetic modification of their products. The Non-GMO Project Verified seal means that a product has been produced according to rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance, including testing of risk ingredients. The program systematically provides for the evaluation of products, ingredients and manufacturing facilities to determine compliance with the Non-GMO Project Standard.

RBT’s Non-GMO Verified ingredients are produced from rice grown and processed in California. The Company’s Non-GMO Verified products are made from nutrient-dense stabilized rice bran used extensively in diverse food applications including meats, pastas, cereals, baked goods, beverages and health foods.