Purity Test Results: Sunflower Date

ZEGO has a 4 step process to ensure your products are as pure as possible.

Click the buttons below for the test results for this product.

Allergy & Gluten

For your convenience, we summarized the test results for all Sell By dates in 2018, 2019 and 2020 below because all the tests had the same result.

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Why we test for allergens and gluten?

ZEGO bars are made in a facility that does not process any of the top 14 allergens, and we are careful to source our ingredients from trusted suppliers that do not have allergens in their facility.

We take allergen safety very seriously and know that, despite all these precautions, cross contact can still happen. That is why we test every batch for cross contact at the end of the production and post the results for you to see through the QR code on every ZEGO package. We are the ONLY company providing this extra level of information and transparency for consumers. We hope you email other allergy friendly companies you buy from and ask them to start doing the same.

How does ZEGO decide what allergens to test for?

We test for peanut, gluten/wheat, soy, and dairy because these are the most common allergens, and the tests are more reliable for our product. Ingredients and allergens do not have equal testing reliability, so we balance the need for safety with reliability and risk. For example, the almond test is not reliable for our products because our ingredients (sunflower, apple and pear) interfere with testing accuracy. Other tests for less common allergens require a negative sample, making them more expensive and less reliable at the lowest PPM levels that we are focused on. Because the risk is lower for these less common allergens, we do not test for those.

Explanation of Allergen Test Results

The lowest measurable amount for allergens is 2.5PPM, for gluten 5PPM. Amounts lower than those levels cannot be detected. All tests have a 95% confidence level and are performed by the Food Allergy Research and Resource Project (FARRP), based at the University of NebraskaThe U.S. FDA does not have definitions or threshold values for “allergy free” or for labeling requirements of cross contact.

What are the lowest levels of PPM that are known to cause a reaction?

It varies depending on the allergen and on the person. The FDA has determined the lowest level at which a reaction has been seen in clinical trials to be the following.

  • Tree nuts: between 0.02-7.5 mg protein.
  • Dairy:  between 0.36-3.6 mg protein.
  • Sesame:  between 0.25-10 mg protein.

Glyphosate

Composite Test of Seed+Fruit Bars: Apple Cinnamon, Fudgy Chocolate, Sunflower Date, Lemon Ginger

Valid for Best By Dates through June 2021

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Why does ZEGO test for glyphosate?

We believe our customers have a right to know what is in their food, even if we are not required to list in on the label, and even if the chemical has not been proven to cause health problems yet. Though we cannot test for every chemical used in agriculture, glyphosate is the most common herbicide and testing for it can serve as a proxy for ensuring the ingredients we purchase truly are organic and/or non-GMO. We believe all companies should be testing periodically for glyphosate and try to minimize it in their products.

Click here to view the lab report from May 2019.

The lowest measurable amount for glyphosate is 0.001PPM. Amounts lower than that level cannot be detected. All tests are performed by AGQ Labs & Technological Services.

What are the lowest levels of PPM that could result in negative health consequences?

Glyphosate is different from allergen testing. Whereas a person with an extreme tree nut allergy could react to .02mg of protein, glyphosate exposure is not known to cause reactions with individual exposure of small amounts. The concern most often cited is over prolonged exposure to larger amounts.

Chemicals

Composite Test of Seed+Fruit Bars: Apple Cinnamon, Fudgy Chocolate, Sunflower Date, Lemon Ginger

For your convenience, we have summarized the report to include the most common chemicals found in food. To view the entire report, click here.

Valid for Best By Dates through June 2021

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Why does ZEGO test for 400+ Chemicals?

We believe our customers have a right to know what is in their food, even if we are not required to list it on the label, and even if the chemical has not been proven to cause health problems yet. Though we cannot test for every chemical used in agriculture, we are currently testing for the 400 most common chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides.  Testing for these chemicals can serve as a proxy for ensuring the ingredients we purchase truly are organic and/or non-GMO. We believe all companies should be testing periodically for chemicals and try to minimize it in their products.

Even though our Seed+Fruit bars are organic, contamination can occur despite the farm’s best efforts to keep their crops clean, which is why we are testing for the 400 most common chemicals used or found in agriculture.

We will be conducting this test once per harvest and will update this page each time a new test is performed.  We want you to have the power in deciding what foods to feed your family, which is why we are publishing the results.

Lab & Test Information

The lowest measurable amount we can test for is 0.01PPM. Amounts lower than that level cannot be detected. All tests are performed by AGQ Labs & Technological Services.

Questions?

Still have questions? Please feel free to email us at info@zegosnacks.com with any questions you have.

Heavy Metals

Currently, we are testing for ingredients that often contain heavy metals like lead in protein powder or cadmium in chocolate. Please see below for the test results

Valid for All Protein with Best By Dates Through Mar. 2023:

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Why does ZEGO test for heavy metals?

We believe our customers have a right to know what is in their food, even if we are not required to list in on the label. We believe all companies should be testing periodically for metals – even if they are naturally occurring as the consumer has the right to know.

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