Food Transparency Research

Know who
actually owns
your food.

Most grocery brands look independent. Many aren't. Traced maps corporate ownership webs, investigates what's really inside the packaging, and connects you to local makers who exist outside that system.

Traced in one glance
PARENT OWNER controls the portfolio "INDIE" BRAND Acquired 2014 "CLEAN" BRAND Same parent "PREMIUM" BRAND Same parent Traced makes this visible in 20 seconds.
Annie's, Lärabar, Cascadian Farm — three different shelves, different aesthetics. One owner: General Mills.
Ownership Intelligence

The portfolios behind familiar brands

Four companies control more grocery shelf space than most people realize. Every card below links to the full ownership web.

See full investigations →
10
companies own roughly 80% of US grocery brand revenue
$820M
General Mills paid for Annie's in 2014 — brand kept its "homegrown" identity
47
brands traced so far across Traced's investigation database
From exposure to action
Now find what exists outside that system.

Every corporate ownership story on Traced leads to real independent alternatives — farmers markets, specialty makers, and local shops with genuine sourcing transparency near you.

Independent Discovery

Start with a ZIP. Find what's real.

Farmers markets, specialty makers, and independent shops — each listed with a specific sourcing reason, not just an address.

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
0.8 mi
1 Ferry Building, SF · Sat 8am–2pm · Tue & Thu 10am–2pm · CalFresh EBT
Traced note: 100+ producers including certified organic farms, direct-trade cacao vendors, and independently owned cheese makers. Most of what's sold here bypasses national distribution entirely.
Farmers market CUESA-operated EBT accepted Year-round
Details →
Dandelion Chocolate
1.4 mi
740 Valencia St, Mission · Factory + Café · Mon–Sun
Specialty maker Bean-to-bar SF-founded Factory tours open
Details →
Hours: Daily 10am–9pm (factory tours: check site)
Why it's here: Publishes full sourcing reports. Cacao origins traceable to individual farms. Zero mass-distribution infrastructure — all direct.
Related investigation: Chocolate Index — compare to Hershey, Mondelēz, Nestlé.
Bi-Rite Market
1.6 mi
3639 18th St, Mission · Independent grocery · Daily
Traced note: Family-owned since 1964, B Corp certified, staff-curated sourcing. Actively refuses products it can't source transparently — a direct counterpoint to the national distribution model Traced investigates across protein bars, supplements, and packaged goods.
Independent shop B Corp Family-owned Curated sourcing
Details →
Hours: Daily 9am–9pm
Why it's here: Not a Whole Foods alternative — a genuine independent. Owner-operated, no investor extraction. Every product on shelf was chosen by a person with a name, not an algorithm.
Rainbow Grocery Co-op
1.9 mi
1745 Folsom St, Mission · Worker-owned co-op · Daily 9am–9pm
Traced note: Worker-owned since 1975. No private equity, no acquisition risk, no investor extraction. Decision-making is collective — structurally immune to the ownership changes Traced documents in brands like Annie's, RXBar, and Sweet Earth.
Worker co-op Independent Since 1975 No corporate investors
Details →
Hours: Daily 9am–9pm
Why it's here: Structurally can't be acquired. Worker ownership means no exit incentive. Stock heavily weighted toward independent and small-batch producers.
Mission Community Market
2.2 mi
Bartlett St & 21st, Mission · Thu 3pm–7pm (Mar–Nov) · CalFresh EBT + Market Match
Traced note: Also operated by Foodwise. Thursday evening market in the Mission. EBT and Market Match accepted — doubles purchasing power for produce. Vendor-direct, no national distribution.
Farmers market EBT + WIC Market Match 40+ vendors
Guerra Quality Meats
Outer Sunset
490 Taraval St, Outer Sunset · Mon–Fri 9am–7pm · Sat–Sun 9am–6pm
Traced note: Family-owned since 1954. Robert and John Guerra are the second generation on Taraval Street. Full-service butcher, housemade deli — no chain ownership, no private equity, no acquisition risk.
Baron's Quality Meats & Seafood
Noe Valley
1706 Church St, Noe Valley · Mon–Fri 12pm–7pm · Sat–Sun 11am–7pm
Traced note: Opened in SF in 2016 by Niman Ranch alum David Samiljan. No hormones, no antibiotics, humanely raised — sourcing is posted and verifiable. The opposite of the commodity meat supply chain.
Billingsgate
Noe Valley
3859 24th St, Noe Valley · Mon–Fri 10am–7pm · Sat 9am–7pm · Sun 10am–7pm
Traced note: Founded by two chefs who ran wholesale fish company Four Star Seafood before opening retail. Direct relationships with California fishermen — the supply chain is their background, not a marketing claim.
No vendors match this filter in this city yet. Know one? List them →
Nearby (demo)
FM
MK
SH
CO
FM
Highlights
Ferry Plaza FM0.8 mi
Dandelion Chocolate1.4 mi
Bi-Rite Market1.6 mi
Rainbow Grocery1.9 mi
Civic Center FM2.2 mi
What "Traced note" means

Each vendor is listed with a specific why-it-belongs-here explanation relative to the brands we investigate — not just a directory entry.

Traced Indexes

Category transparency research

Every index scores brands across ownership, ingredient integrity, certifications, and labor record. Sortable, filterable, expandable.

Index · Live
Protein Supplements
Ownership networks, heavy metal disclosures, influencer economics, and transparency scoring. 28 brands, 7-dimension methodology.
28 brands tracedUpdated Feb 2025
Index · Live
Protein Bars
Celebrity investment, private equity roll-ups, and ingredient positioning across performance snack brands. Includes the David deep trace.
12 brands tracedUpdated Jan 2025
Index · Live
Chocolate
Ethical sourcing claims, conglomerate ownership, child labor audit records, and the bean-to-bar transparency gap.
11 brands tracedUpdated Jan 2025
Index · Live
Greens Powders
Proprietary blend opacity, influencer incentives, and what "clinically studied" actually means on a greens powder label.
8 brands tracedUpdated Dec 2024
Index · Coming soon
Olive Oil
Harvest date opacity, single-estate vs. blend labeling, and why origin claims in olive oil are uniquely difficult to verify.
In research
Index · Coming soon
Coffee
The JAB Holding empire, direct-trade claims, and the difference between Rainforest Alliance and genuine farmer transparency.
In research
Index · Coming soon
Dairy & Eggs
Supply chain traceability, pasture-raised vs. cage-free certification gaps, and who actually owns "happy farm" brands.
In research
Index · Coming soon
Electrolytes
Hydration brands, VC backing, and whether the "clean electrolyte" category lives up to its ingredient transparency claims.
In research
For independent vendors

Your sourcing story
deserves to be found.

Every day Traced users read about what a corporate brand isn't — then immediately want to know what's near them instead. If you're an independent maker, market, or shop with a real sourcing story, you belong in this network.

A Traced-vetted vendor profile — not a directory listing. We write the "why it belongs here" context for you, tied to specific brand investigations.
Appear in category-specific local discovery — when someone reads our chocolate investigation, they find your chocolate shop.
Free during founding period. No affiliate swaps, no sponsored rankings. Independence is the product.
Your own vendor profile page on Traced — shareable, searchable, and linked from every relevant investigation.
Get listed on Traced
We review every application. Responds within 5 business days.
Nearby (demo)
FM
MK
SH
CO
FM
Highlights
Ferry Plaza FM0.8 mi
Dandelion Chocolate1.4 mi
Bi-Rite Market1.6 mi
Rainbow Grocery1.9 mi
Civic Center FM2.2 mi
What "Traced note" means

Each vendor is listed with a specific why-it-belongs-here explanation relative to the brands we investigate — not just a directory entry.

Traced Stories

Investigations you can finish in 60 seconds

Fast scan first. Expand for receipts. Every story links to owner webs, category indexes, and local alternatives.

Browse all indexes →
Traced Indexes

Category transparency research

Every index scores brands across ownership, ingredient integrity, certifications, and labor record. Sortable, filterable, expandable.

Index · Live
Protein Supplements
Ownership networks, heavy metal disclosures, influencer economics, and transparency scoring. 28 brands, 7-dimension methodology.
28 brands tracedUpdated Feb 2025
Index · Live
Protein Bars
Celebrity investment, private equity roll-ups, and ingredient positioning across performance snack brands. Includes the David deep trace.
12 brands tracedUpdated Jan 2025
Index · Live
Chocolate
Ethical sourcing claims, conglomerate ownership, child labor audit records, and the bean-to-bar transparency gap.
11 brands tracedUpdated Jan 2025
Index · Live
Greens Powders
Proprietary blend opacity, influencer incentives, and what "clinically studied" actually means on a greens powder label.
8 brands tracedUpdated Dec 2024
Index · Coming soon
Olive Oil
Harvest date opacity, single-estate vs. blend labeling, and why origin claims in olive oil are uniquely difficult to verify.
In research
Index · Coming soon
Coffee
The JAB Holding empire, direct-trade claims, and the difference between Rainforest Alliance and genuine farmer transparency.
In research
Index · Coming soon
Dairy & Eggs
Supply chain traceability, pasture-raised vs. cage-free certification gaps, and who actually owns "happy farm" brands.
In research
Index · Coming soon
Electrolytes
Hydration brands, VC backing, and whether the "clean electrolyte" category lives up to its ingredient transparency claims.
In research
For independent vendors

Your sourcing story
deserves to be found.

Every day Traced users read about what a corporate brand isn't — then immediately want to know what's near them instead. If you're an independent maker, market, or shop with a real sourcing story, you belong in this network.

A Traced-vetted vendor profile — not a directory listing. We write the "why it belongs here" context for you, tied to specific brand investigations.
Appear in category-specific local discovery — when someone reads our chocolate investigation, they find your chocolate shop.
Free during founding period. No affiliate swaps, no sponsored rankings. Independence is the product.
Your own vendor profile page on Traced — shareable, searchable, and linked from every relevant investigation.
Get listed on Traced
We review every application. Responds within 5 business days.