Hi there and thanks for taking the time to ask us this question. Yes, you’re right that evaporated cane juice is a type of sugar. I’m happy to clear up any confusion about the difference between the organic evaporated cane juice used in our products and sugar which is derived from sources such as beet or corn. The name of the evaporated cane juice is descriptive of the process used to derive the ingredient from certified organic cane. In the case of organic evaporated cane juice, this is the standard industry name for this ingredient at the current time in the US. As per Canadian regulation, the product is called granulated organic sugar cane juice in Canada which is the same ingredient. This wholesome and natural sweetener is a brown colored raw sugar with minimal processing and a superior taste profile, as opposed to white sugar which is highly refined. In order to create the organic evaporated cane juice that we use, the organic cane is broken up, soaked, heated then pressed to get the cane juice out. This cane juice contains sugar and ‘mud’ (molasses-like, dark, strong tasting solids) which is then filtered to remove any impurities (cane plant fibers, etc) and clarified (some ‘mud’ removed) before evaporating the water to leave crystals. The cane juice is only refined to the point of having most of the sugar solids intact and without these steps, the color would be too dark and the taste too strong. However, the refinement process for white sugar involves many more steps. If a white product is desired, sulfur dioxide may be bubbled through the cane juice before evaporation; this chemical bleaches many color-forming impurities into colorless ones. Sugar bleached white by this sulfitation process is called “mill white,” “plantation white,” and “crystal sugar.” Understandably, this chemical process would not be allowed by organic standards. Because of the differentiation between evaporated cane juice and highly refined white sugar, we make this distinction in the ingredients labelling. I assure you that we don’t do this to mislead or confuse people as you’ll still see the sugar content in the nutrition facts label. I hope this helps! All the best, Justine, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Bea and thanks for sharing! I absolutely love our oatmeal too and like to change it up with dried fruit and nuts. My favorite combo is our oatmeal with dried dates, bananas, and almonds. YUM! What kinds of berries do you like best to add to your oatmeal? Take care, Justine, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Lili and thanks for asking us your question! The oats in our Instant Hot Oatmeal products are steamed at temperatures of up to 220 degrees F in order to make them ‘instant’ oats. I hope that answers your question. All the best, Justine, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Linda and thanks for asking us your question. In addition to the variety pack, this oatmeal does come in its own box. You can always place a special order with your local retailer or check online stores such as Amazon.com. I’d also suggest contacting Nicolette, Consumer Services, using our contact form here: http://www.naturespath.com/contact-us and she’d be happy to help you find exactly where it is! All the best, Justine, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Frank and thanks for asking the time to ask your question! The flax seeds in this oatmeal are whole, as fully ground seeds go rancid very quickly without refrigeration or the use of preservatives. Rest assured, some of the seeds do actually get ground up by the cereal manufacturing process to make more nutrients available. Some seeds are broken by the teeth to make some of the nutrients available to you, and the one’s that aren’t broken still hold great fiber benefits. At this time there isn’t a better solution to the problem unless we use preservatives and we won’t do that because we make organic products. We’re aware of the flax seed issue and now do also sell FlaxPlus Flaxseed Meal separately for people to sprinkle on their cereal or hot oatmeal (we suggest this to be refrigerated). All the best, Justine, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Carolyn and thanks for sharing your comments with us! This oatmeal contains approximately 1.74 µg folic acid per 50 gram serving. Take care, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Mohammed and thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. I highly suggest trying our Original Oatmeal which does not contain any sugar at all. With this oatmeal you can add whatever you like whether it be flax seeds or fruit. It’s perfect for the do-it-yourself-oatmeal-lover! Take care, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Thanks for getting in touch with us Isabella! Our oatmeals do not contain soy as an ingredient, but they are made in a facility that uses soy in other products. Even though the facilities have strict cleaning procdures we want our consumers to know that there is a chance of cross contamination in case they have a serious life-threatening allergy. All the best, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Thanks so much for sharing your feedback with us! Our consumer comments are very important to us, therefore, I have forwarded your suggestion to our Brand Manager who will look into this more closely. All the best, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Thanks so much for taking the time to get in touch with us! The best before date fon the hot oatmeal boxes is printed on either the front of the box or the top left corner. The little baggies of oatmeal also have a code printed on them and is interpreted as follows: E.g. 09215 A 10:25. 1. 09 - Year of production i.e.: 2009. 2. 215 - Julian day of year (check out Julian Calendar to find this day) i.e. August 3rd. 3. A - Day shift or B - evening shift. 4. 10:25 - time of production. Please also take into concideration that the shelf life for our organic oatmeal is 14 months from the manufacture date. All the best, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Thanks so much for getting in touch with us. We’re so very happy to hear you love our products so much! While we look into e-coupons, we suggest that you join our Facebook, Twitter and favorite blogger sites where you can win giveaways for our products. We also have coupons in health food store coupon books, aaaaaand before you put an empty product box into the recycling, be sure to look on the inside of the box to see if there’s a surprise coupon for you! Take care, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Sue and thanks for reaching out to us. We’re so glad we could be a part of your new Path to healthier eating! Since we are an organic company our products don’t contain artificial preservatives, additives or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and our ingredients are not grown with toxic pesticides, chemical fertilizers or fumigants. Please try some of our other products (your body will love you for it) and let us know how you like them. We look forward to hearing from you, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Gluten free - gluten is wheat, barley, and rye - not oat

Thanks for taking a deeper interest in your health Liz! We have not compared the nutritionals of this oatmeal with non instant oatmeal, however, in many of our processes, our products retain most of their nutritional value. As you can see from the nutritionals to the left, this oatmeal contains 5 g of fiber per serving. This product is also organic which means it doesn’t contain artificial preservatives, additives or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Gluten is a protein found in wheat (Kamut and spelt), rye and barley. Although oats should be a gluten free grain they’re not due to the possibility of cross contamination of a gluten containing grain in the field or during the milling process. This means that in North America most oats are not considered acceptable in a gluten free diet and organic gluten free oats are not available in the quantities we need. All the best Liz, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Dan and thanks so much for taking the time to get in touch with us. We are so very sorry that you’re disappointed in this product. As per our quality guarantee, please email a clear scan or photograph of the expiry date flap to Nicolette in Consumer Services at consumerservices@naturespath.com and she will be sure to look after you. Please try our Hemp Plus oatmeal with 105 mg of sea salt. Hemp is an excellent source of protein and is chock full of nutrients and minerals and omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Take care Dan, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Isabel and thank you so much for getting in touch with us. On the packaging for the oatmeal you can find the expiry date listed vertically on either the left side or right side of the box (this is if the box is standing upright and you are looking at the front). Keep on enjoying this amazing oatmeal! Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Jim and thanks for reaching out to us. Our Optimum Cranberry Ginger Oatmeal is an ongoing product found here: http://www.naturespath.com/products/hot%20cereals?tid=6&brand=All&nutri=All. I suggest you have your local grocery store order it in for you, or check out our Find a Retailer page here: http://www.naturespath.com/find-retailer. Be sure to call the store first to ensure they carry this specific product. You can also order online over our website. Just click the Buy Now tab under the Nature’s Path Organic logo on the top right hand corner. Take care Jim! Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

Hi Brooke and thanks so much for posting on our site. Currently the instant oatmeal packaging is not compostable due to the plastic layer which is fused to the outer paper lining. We are currenly working with organic industry companies to develop a 100% recyclable, compostable plastic film made from non Genetically Modified plant cellulose (possibly wood) that has the necessary oxygen and moisture barrier qualities that we need. Right now there isn’t anything on the market that we can use as a substitute. All the best Brooke, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team

THANK YOU Carrie! We’re so glad you love this oatmeal as much as we do. I do agree that adding all sort of other organic nuts, seeds and fruits do make a wonderful addition. Please continue to comment on our site as we love to hear your thoughts. Take care Carrie, Jamie, Nature’s Path Team