The Certification
Go Raw, the Northbrook, Ill.-based seed-based snack brand, has secured Non-UPF Verification for its Organic Sea Salt Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds under a new independent program administered by the Non-GMO Project. The Non-Ultra-Processed-Food (Non-UPF) Verified program provides a third-party, nonprofit-backed seal designed to help retail buyers and consumers distinguish minimally processed products from the broader, increasingly crowded better-for-you snack set. Go Raw is among the first brands to achieve the designation, which layers onto its existing USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified credentials.
Why It Matters for Buyers
The certification lands at a moment when ultra-processed food scrutiny has moved from academic nutrition journals into mainstream grocery conversations — and into chain-buyer line reviews. Retail category managers in the natural and specialty snack segment are under growing pressure to substantiate "clean label" and "minimally processed" positioning with independent verification rather than brand self-declaration. The Non-UPF seal gives Go Raw a shelf-differentiating credential that is difficult for competitors without the underlying formulation discipline to replicate quickly. Peter Grumhaus, CEO of Go Raw, framed it as validation rather than reinvention: "This verification isn't about changing what we make — it's about validating the standards we've held ourselves to for more than 20 years. As the conversation around food becomes more complex, shoppers deserve clear, credible standards they can trust."
Portfolio Rollout
Refreshed front-of-pack packaging featuring the Non-UPF Verified seal will begin rolling out in November, starting with the Sea Salt Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds SKU. The brand characterizes this as the first phase of a broader effort to extend the verification across its full portfolio, which spans Sprouted Seeds, Snacking Granolas, and Snacking Crisps. The packaging update coincides with the brand's first national campaign — branded Uncomplicate Snacking — positioning the line against what Grumhaus describes as an overwhelming snack aisle. For commercial foodservice and retail operators, the certification and campaign together signal that Go Raw is investing in brand-level pull marketing to support velocity at shelf, a meaningful shift for a 22-year-old brand historically reliant on natural-channel distribution and ingredient-transparency positioning alone.
The Non-UPF Verified program's backing by the Non-GMO Project — an established and retailer-recognized certification body — gives the seal institutional credibility that newer, less-known certifications often lack. That recognition matters in category reviews where buyers must evaluate competing certification claims across dozens of snack SKUs. Segment peers in the better-for-you snack category will be watching adoption rates closely; if major natural and conventional grocers begin prioritizing Non-UPF-verified products in planogram resets, brands without the underlying formulation to qualify will face growing shelf pressure. The certification is also relevant for foodservice retail and grab-and-go operators sourcing snack components for hospitality and healthcare accounts, where minimally processed credentials are increasingly specified.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
