Since the company’s founding five years ago, Pairwise has been driven by two core principles- our mission to use technology to build a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables and to uphold our deep commitment to transparency
For both Pairwise and Conscious™ Foods, we live by the rule that transparency matters. While the term can mean different things to different people, transparency at Pairwise and Conscious Foods is engrained not only in our core values, but in how we do business.
How are we transparent?
Packaging:
Our belief in transparency has lead us to publish our process for growing Conscious™ Greens with the latest technology (CRISPR) in several ways, including on our Conscious Foods website and in the well-respected journal Plants and The Spoon. One of the most exciting ways we’re bringing our mission to life is by clearly labeling our use of CRISPR on our Conscious Foods products with an easy-to-read icon, beginning with Conscious Greens – coming to U.S. grocery stores later this year. Our icon:
Each package will also include a description of how our greens are grown and a QR code linking to our website for additional details. In fact, we’ve talked to consumers and 4 out of 5 of them want more information about gene edited food (Pairwise research, 2021).
Voluntary processes with government agencies:
We work with several government agencies to maintain a consistent conversation around gene editing practices and their vast benefits to health, sustainability, and traditional crop breeding.
In August 2020, Pairwise received the necessary confirmation from the USDA that our Conscious Greens products can proceed to market. We voluntarily met with the FDA and provided an in-depth seminar for our product and the science behind it. Pairwise also provided voluntary notifications to Health Canada in March 2023 and has received confirmation that Conscious Greens has been added to its list of non-novel foods developed through plant breeding and intended as food in Canada.