Whole Foods celebrates 40 years with cake

Whole Foods Market is blowing out the candles on 40 years of business and is celebrating the occasion with a special offer on its signature Berry Chantilly Cake.

Amazon Prime members from Sept. 18-20 can get 40% off on a whole cake, one of the more popular items in its stores. The Berry Chantilly Cake was originally created by a Whole Foods team member at the Arabella Station store in New Orleans based on a recipe from her grandmother.

Whole Foods opened its doors as a national grocer with a commitment to organic on Sept. 20, 1980. The private label cake is celebrating the day and made to meet the retailer’s rigorous standards which prohibit hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup and more than 100 preservatives, flavors, colors, sweeteners and other ingredients commonly found in food.

Whole Foods Market Quality Standards also ban more than 100 ingredients commonly found in body care products and more than 100 ingredients in household cleaning products.

Over the past 40 years, Whole Foods Market has helped move the needle of organics into the mainstream. For example, in 1980, the market for organic foods and beverages was miniscule by today’s standards, accounting for far less than 1% of the U.S. food supply, per The Hartman Group. 

According to data from Nielsen, UPC sales of organic products have grown immensely since then, increasing from $2.4 billion for the 52 weeks ending Nov. 5, 2005 to $24 billion for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2019 — a demand increase of 900% over 14 years.