The company that buys organic brands and puts them back on the same shelf.
Every brand below is owned by General Mills. Highlighted rows are brands that specifically market themselves as natural, organic, wellness, or independent — the ones most likely to obscure their parent company.
These are documented cases where branding, packaging, or public messaging obscures the ownership relationship or ingredient reality.
Annie's was founded in 1989 by Annie Withey out of her Connecticut farmhouse. It went public in 2012, positioning itself as the independent, mission-driven alternative to Big Food. Two years later, General Mills acquired it for $820 million. The packaging still features Annie's handwritten font, her photo, and the tagline 'Homegrown.' The back-of-box letter still reads like a note from a small farmer. The company is headquartered in Berkeley, CA — but owned from Golden Valley, MN.
Lärabar was founded in 2003 by Lara Merriken, selling bars with 3–5 ingredients at farmers markets. The pitch was radical transparency — no additives, no isolates, just dates and nuts. General Mills acquired it in 2008. The ingredient list hasn't changed dramatically, but sourcing decisions now flow through General Mills' global procurement operation, which sources ingredients for Cheerios, Betty Crocker, and Lucky Charms simultaneously.
Both Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen were acquired in 2000 through Small Planet Foods. They operate as standalone units with separate branding and messaging. General Mills itself is not an organic company — it lobbied against stricter organic standards multiple times. The brands' 'organic' identity is siloed marketing, not a reflection of company-wide sourcing philosophy.
Post-acquisition formula changes are rarely announced. They appear in the ingredient panel — in 7pt type — long after the acquisition press release has been forgotten.
Reformulated to remove oat hull fiber, increasing the proportion of cheaper whole grain oats. The 'heart healthy' claim remained on the box. No announcement was made to consumers.
Post-acquisition, Annie's gradually increased portion of non-organic ingredients in some SKUs. The 'organic' label on select products was maintained where certification thresholds were met, but critics noted the broadening use of conventional inputs across the line.
Lawsuit filed claiming the 'natural' label was misleading because bars contained glyphosate-treated oats. General Mills settled for $9M. The 'natural' label was quietly modified but not removed.