Boulder Brands Inc (BDBD), H.J. Heinz Company (HNZ), General Mills, Inc. (GIS): Socially Responsible Investing Is Gluten Free

General Mills

A company that plays in the large cap space and is already in the gluten free arena is General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS). With $17 billion in annual sales and distribution in over 100 markets, General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) is a giant and a solid blue chip. The company has generated a Global Responsibility report for 2013, and health is the first priority discussed. Its Betty Crocker brand launched the first gluten free recipe contest, gluten free Bisquick has been made available, and Chex cereal has been reformulated to be gluten free. The company has come under fire for having some sugary cereals and GMO based foods. It is this Fool’s assessment that General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) is moving the ship in the right direction. The stock offers a 3.2% dividend yield, a CAPS rating of 4 out of 5, and a price to earnings ratio of 17.2. I’m putting my money on the Pillsbury Doughboy, this time, a gluten free version.

Bob’s Red Mill

One way to make money is to keep a sharp eye on what is selling very quickly — and Bob’s Red Mill products are very popular. Unfortunately, Bob’s is still privately held. Hopefully, as its popularity rises it will consider an IPO to infuse more cash (and visibility) into its socially responsible, sustainable operations. Keep an eye on this one.

Conclusion

Social pressures on our food producers to eliminate GMOs and gluten are increasing. One way to keep the pressure high is to invest in socially responsible companies. Some of the traditional companies are making the move to social responsibility, but we can’t expect this change to happen over night.  But if we invest in the right companies, we can ride the gluten free wave right to the bank, for the long haul.

Brenda Johnson has a position H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ). The Motley Fool recommends H.J. Heinz Company.

The article Socially Responsible Investing Is Gluten Free originally appeared on Fool.com.

Brenda is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

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