SEATTLE (Aug. 4, 2014) – All house-made, chef-prepared chicken dishes at Whole Foods Market stores in Oregon and Washington are now made only with organic or Non-GMO Project verified chicken. Additionally, all rotisserie chickens sold in these 15 locations are organic or Non-GMO Project verified.

Whole Foods Market works with NW Poultry in Mt. Vernon, Washington, to source humanely raised chickens whose diets are free of genetically modified organisms. The company is working closely with its supplier partners to increase the number of organic and Non-GMO alternatives it offers.

Currently, Whole Foods Market sells more than 6,800 grocery items—represented by more than 500 brands—that are verified non-GMO. This is more than any other retailer in North America.

“It’s clear from listening to our customers that we’ve reached a tipping point when it comes to their preference for greater availability of products free from GMO ingredients,” said Joe Rogoff, president of the company’s Pacific Northwest Region. “Making this transition hasn’t been easy, but we’ve worked very hard with our supplier partners, who share our commitment to transparency, and we’re very excited to share these Non-GMO Project verified chicken dishes with our customers.”

Whole Foods Market has eight stores and one mobile grocery location in Oregon, and seven stores in Washington.

In March 2013, Whole Foods Market became the first national grocer to set a deadline for full GMO transparency. By 2018, all food sold at Whole Foods Market’s U.S. and Canadian stores must be labeled to indicate if it contains GMOs.