Frontier Co-op FAQs

Commitment to Quality | Food Safety | Allergen Control | Certifications | Transparency

If you need help navigating or ordering from this site, you can call Online Customer Assistance during business hours (8am - 5pm CT, Monday - Friday) at 1-844-550-6200. We've answered some of the most frequently asked questions below. If you don't see the information you're looking for, you can email Customer Care. (customercare@frontiercoop.com)

Q: How does Frontier Co-op ensure they provide high-quality products to customers?

A: When we were founded 50 years ago, Frontier Co-op® set high standards for our products including established internal testing processes that ensure the integrity of the raw materials entering our facility and the finished goods entering the marketplace. Our labels clearly reflect all ingredients, and we have zero tolerance for adulterants or prohibited ingredients. We maintain a steadfast commitment to providing safe, pure products throughout our brands (Frontier Co-op®, Simply Organic® and Aura Cacia®) while carefully monitoring them from receiving into processing and throughout distribution, so we are able to ensure safe, high-quality product. Some of the steps we take include:

• Climate controlled storage used to preserve freshness and maintain chemically active plant constituents.

• Microanalysis: reveals cellular plant structures vital to the correct identification, and prevention of adulteration.

• Organoleptic testing: consists of visual, aroma and taste evaluations which further ensure a quality product and additional safeguard against adulteration.

• High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): testing that measures vital, active constituent levels; opening another window into the potential to detect adulterants.

• Microbiological testing: detects the presence of yeast, mold, bacteria and other pathogens.

Q: How are your products grown and harvested?

A: While we do not regulate the methods our suppliers use to grow, harvest, and process the products we purchase from them — they determine the best method to produce a high-quality product, and processing may vary from crop to crop and amongst suppliers — our Quality department has researched and developed a set of specifications for every product that we sell.  We ensure these specifications are met through a variety of testing tailored to each product. We follow internationally recognized testing standards for product authenticity and adhere to FDA cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) standards.

Additionally, we choose to develop and maintain relationships with suppliers that:

• Have a commitment to these same values.

• Can provide safe, compliant products.

• Are transparent about supply chains and production practices.

• Are committed to working with us to continuously improve these attributes. 

We collaborate closely with suppliers to ensure compliance to regulatory, food safety, environmental and social requirements.

Q: What procedures do you use to ensure food safety?

A: Our team has integrated food safety into our processes from the first steps of material procurement to the last steps of product manufacturing.  Our suppliers’ evaluations include questionnaires, pre-shipments, documentation and on-site visits to ensure the integrity of their products and their business.

Q: How do you pasteurize your products?

A: Frontier Co-op only allows non-chemical treatment — we use a validated steam pasteurization process to ensure that our products meet food safety standards without harsh chemicals. We have also always opposed using irradiation, and none of our brands (Frontier Co-op, Simply Organic, Aura Cacia) carry any products or use any ingredients that are irradiated. We’ve invested in cutting edge food safety infrastructure and quality systems including our own steam pasteurization system to ensure that our employees, our communities, and our customers can have total confidence in the high quality and safety of our products. It’s one of the many ways we’re committed to having a positive impact for our people and our planet.

Processes Frontier Co-op Does Not Allow:

• No chemical pasteurization such as ethylene oxide (ETO) or propylene oxide
• No treatment with irradiation
• No methyl bromide for pesticide treatment
   

Ingredients Frontier Co-op Does Not Allow:

• No artificial colors
• No artificial flavors
• No synthetic chemical preservatives and antioxidants such as BHA, BHT, TBHQ, benzoates and nitrates
• No artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine
• No artificial flavor enhancers such as MSG and guanylate
• No synthetic free-flowing/anti-caking agents such as tricalcium phosphate

Q: Do any of your products contain genetically modified ingredients (GMOs)?

A: We believe genetically engineered crops, as currently regulated, constitute a significant risk to organic agriculture and may have other risks to long-term biodiversity and to human and animal health. Frontier Co-op does not receive or produce any products with bioengineered ingredients. 

Q: What allergens are present in your facility, and what steps do you take to protect non-allergen-containing products from contamination?

A: We have strict procedures in place to prevent allergen cross-contamination. When we process products that have any FDA-defined allergens (milk, tree nuts, soy, sesame, mustard [for Canada], sulfites [Canada]), we do a wet cleanup to eliminate cross-contamination. Because there is a large enough population with extreme allergic reactions to eggs, peanuts and shellfish, these ingredients are not allowed into the manufacturing area of our facilities.

Q: Is Frontier a gluten-free facility?

A: While spices and herbs are naturally gluten-free, we do not test for gluten in all products, only those certified gluten-free (by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization [GFCO]) under the Simply Organic brand. We don't make gluten-free claims for any other products because we know that even tiny amounts of gluten can be a problem, and these may be present in our facility or the facilities of our suppliers. Look for Simply Organic seasoning packet items that bear the gluten free certification logo.

Q: Do any of your products contain MSG?

A: We do not add monosodium glutamate (MSG) to any of our products. FDA regulations require that if MSG is added to a product, it must be identified as monosodium glutamate on the label. Some of our products — such as nutritional yeast and tomato powder — contain some free glutamic acid, which may combine with sodium present in the product to naturally form MSG. While the FDA classifies MSG and glutamic acid as generally safe, people who are sensitive to MSG and glutamic acid may suffer from adverse reactions.

Kosher

Q: What does “kosher certified” mean?

A: Kosher certification is an approval by a Rabbinic agency indicating that a product complies with Jewish religious dietary law. For a product to be kosher certified, a kosher certification agency must inspect the product ingredients, the facility, and its processing to ensure that nothing non-kosher can get into the food. The agency also must review and approve the information on the product label.

Kosher Supervision of America (KSA) is our certifier. Most of our herbs, spices, seasoning blends and teas are kosher certified. Those products bear the KSA logo on the label and display Kosher on the product detail pages of our websites. In our wholesale catalog, products that are not certified kosher are indicated with a symbol (*).

Organic

Q: What does "certified organic” really mean?

A: A certified organic designation means that a state or private certification organization that is accredited by the USDA has verified that the product meets its strict organic standards. The certifier inspects the location where the organic product is produced and handled to ensure that all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards are being followed. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to the local supermarket or restaurant must also be certified and inspected annually to ensure continued compliance. (And the certifiers themselves, in order to maintain their accredited certifier status with the USDA, are required to conduct annual on-site inspections of all their clients.)

All products sold as “certified organic” in the United States, regardless of what country they were produced in, are required to follow the U.S. organic standards and be certified by a USDA-accredited certifier.

Here are the basic USDA regulations for the four recognized types of organic claims on product labels: 

• For products labeled "100% Organic," all ingredients must be certified organic, excluding water and salt. The products must show an ingredients list, the name and address of the handler (bottler, distributor, importer, manufacturer, packer, processor, etc.) of the finished product, and the name/seal of the organic certifier.
• Products labeled "Organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients, excluding water and salt. The label must contain an ingredient list that identifies the organic as well as the non-organic ingredients, and the name of the organic certifier. Any non-organic ingredients used must be approved by the USDA for use in an organic product.
• Products labeled "Made with Organic (specified ingredients or food groups)" must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients (excluding water and salt) and up to 30% non-organic agricultural ingredients or other ingredients approved by the USDA for use in organic products. The label must contain an ingredients list that identifies the organic as well as the non-organic ingredients in the product, along with the name of the organic certifier.
• If a product contains less than 70 percent organic ingredients, the product can specify organic ingredients only on the ingredient panel. The product cannot use the word "organic" on the principal display panel (front label of the product) or display any organic certifier seals.
  

Many products also bear the “If it’s organic, it’s non-GMO" certification mark. This logo is designed to help inform consumers that USDA organic certification requires products to be free of genetically modified organisms. Essentially, certified organic products are non-GMO by definition.

For further information on organic standards, visit the Organic Trade Association’s website at:  https://ota.com/advocacy/organic-integrity-standards/organic-standards

Q: Are certified organic products completely free of pesticide residues?

A: The 1995 definition of organic production by the National Organics Standard Board notes that "Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and waters." These methods include buffer zones between conventional and organic fields, a three-year waiting period before previously non-organic land can be used for organic crops and placing organic products in storage on the higher shelves to avoid cross contamination from non-organic products.

Q: Aren’t ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ essentially the same thing?

A: The terms "natural" and "organic" are not interchangeable. While the term "natural" suggests that products have been minimally processed or are free from synthetic ingredients, there are no federal regulations that must be complied with in order to label a botanical product "natural." On the other hand, products labeled "organic" must be certified by a USDA-accredited third-party certifier to have met the government's strict organic standards. 

Q: Who is Frontier’s organic certifier?

A: Frontier Co-op products are certified by the world’s leading third-party organic certifier: Quality Assurance International (QAI).

Fairtrade

Q: What does “fair trade certified” mean?

A: Fair trade certification provides farmers and farm workers in developing countries with guaranteed minimum prices, decent work conditions and fair wages to prevent their exploitation. Fair trade also encourages sustainable farming practices and supports direct trade to eliminate exploitive middlemen.
When you purchase Fairtrade America certified products, you are:

• Standing for workers' rights
• Promoting gender equality
• Combating child labor
• Prioritizing fair pay
• Supporting eco-friendly farming practices
• Creating more resilient communities

We recently transitioned our certification to Fairtrade International (with its subsidiary, Fairtrade America). Certification through Fairtrade International allows Frontier Co-op and our partners to engage at a deeper level within our supply chain and to increase benefits to the farmers from which we source. It also allows us greater visibility into our certified supply chain partners, and the opportunity to invest more meaningfully in collaborative projects in the communities of certified farmers and farming groups.

Regenerative Organic

Q: What does “regenerative organic certified” mean?

A: In a nutshell, regenerative farming helps rehabilitate soil, respect animal welfare, and improve the lives of farmers. Frontier Co-op® believes firmly that regenerative agriculture should inherently require organic practices, and Regenerative Organic Certified® represents the highest standard for organic agriculture in the world. Regenerative Organic Certified® is an agricultural certification for food, fiber, and personal care ingredients. Based on three pillars, it requires farmers to go above and beyond by practicing agricultural techniques that ensure healthy soil, the ethical and humane treatment of animals, and fairness for farmers & workers. It was created to address the climate crisis, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, factory farming and fractured rural economies globally.

Full Ingredient Disclosure

Q: Why don’t all your products list the ingredients?

A: At Frontier Co-op, we believe our customers have the right to know what they’re putting in and on their bodies, or using in their homes. Our labels clearly reflect all ingredients, and we have zero tolerance for adulterants, or prohibited ingredients.  Complete ingredient lists are included on our product labels, other than for Frontier Co-op brand products that contain only the herb or spice the product is named for. We provide complete lists of all ingredients for all our items in our wholesale catalog and on the product detail pages on our websites, and answer all inquiries about ingredients in full transparency.

Nutrition Facts

Q: Why isn’t there nutrition information on many of your spice labels?

A: Most of our single-ingredient herbs and spices (such as basil, fennel, cumin, etc.) don't contain any reportable nutrients. Reportable nutrients are amounts significant enough to warrant reporting according to FDA food labeling regulations 21CFR101.  Since the nutrient levels are based on the amount customarily consumed by a person at one "eating occasion" (defined by the FDA as 1/4 teaspoon for spices), most spices do not have enough of each nutrient to meet the threshold of reportability. Those that do will have a Nutrition Facts Panel or Supplement Facts Panel on the label and on the product's web page, either as a stand-alone image or on the image of the product label. 

Q: Why don’t you provide information about the medicinal uses of your herbs?

A: There are strict Federal regulations prohibiting any herb supplier from making health claims for their products. Our practices comply with those FDA and FTC regulations and follow the recommendations of the American Herbal Products Association.  

Product Shelf Life

Q: How can I tell if my spices are still good?

A: While spices don’t spoil like fresh foods do, they gradually lose their potency over time, and spices with a high oil content may become rancid. Our bottled spices and blends are freshness dated — the date the product is best used by for maximum freshness is printed on the bottom of each bottle, and along the side of our bulk bag labels. Check that date for unopened products. 

Q: How long do your teas stay good?

A: Lengths vary by type and form of the herb, leaf or flower, so follow the “Best by” date on the packaging. Teas stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight, opaque container retain their freshness longest.

Q: Where can I find more information about the Frontier Co-op company?

A: You can find a great overview of our company and its values on the “About Us” page on our retail website, and follow the links there for additional information:  About Us | Frontier Co-op (frontiercoop.com)