Privacy Policy

Ardent Mills’ websites and Sites, including (without limitation) our website and other interactive properties through which the Sites are delivered (collectively, the “Sites”) are owned, operated and distributed by Ardent Mills’ (referred to in this Privacy Notice as “Ardent Mills” or “we” and through similar words such as “us,” “our,” etc.). This Privacy Notice outlines the personal information that Ardent Mills may collect, how Ardent Mills uses and safeguards that information, and with whom we may share it.

Ardent Mills encourages our customers, vendors, suppliers, employees, independent contractors, visitors, business associates, investors, and other interested parties to read this Privacy Notice, which applies to all users interacting with any portion of the Sites. While this Privacy Notice applies to any of the previously described individuals when engaging with the Sites, if you are a job applicant, employee, independent contractor, or are otherwise engaged with Ardent Mills on an employment, contractual, or professional basis, Ardent Mills may have a particular privacy notice that describes how Ardent Mills collects and uses your data during that relationship.

By using our Sites or submitting personal information to Ardent Mills by any other means, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to be bound by this Privacy Notice, and agree and consent to Ardent Mills collecting, processing, transferring, using, disclosing, or otherwise processing your personal information as described in this Privacy Notice.

Further, by accessing any part of the Sites, you are agreeing to THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, AS MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME (the “Terms of Use”). IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ANY PART OF THIS PRIVACY NOTICE OR OUR TERMS OF USE, PLEASE DO NOT USE ANY PORTION OF THE SITES.  IN THE EVENT OF ANY CONFLICT BETWEEN THE PROVISIONS OF ANY WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND ARDENT MILLS AND THE PROVISIONS OF THIS PRIVACY NOTICE, THE PROVISIONS OF THAT WRITTEN AGREEMENT SHALL CONTROL, THE TERMS OF USE SHALL APPLY UNLESS EXPRESSLY STATED IN ANOTHER OR SUBSEQUENT AGREEMENT.

What personal information do we collect about you?

Personal information (also commonly known as personally identifiable information (PII) or personal data) is information that can be used to identify you, or any other individual to whom the information may relate.

The personal information that we collect directly from you includes the following categories:

• Name and contact information (e.g. address; phone number; email, fax);
• Date of birth
• Registration Data you provided us to create an Account (e.g. login credentials, date of birth)
• Billing Information (e.g. credit card, bank account, billing contact information);
• Order Information (e.g. current order/purchase information, purchase history, shipping details);
• Professional Information (e.g. company/employer information, job title, professional affiliations, and other information typically recorded in a customer management database);
• Geographic or location information;

• CCTV images and visit information for visitors to Ardent Mills office locations;

• Information contained in posts you may on the public forums and interactive features of the Sites, including User Content (see more under “User Content” on the Terms of Use);
• Information in Ardent Mills' cookie notice (the "Cookie Notice”), the degree to which such information is defined as personal information under the laws of a particular jurisdiction;
• Other information that may be exchanged in the course of engaging with the Sites.

Generally, our Sites distinguish between information we need in order to provide you with a particular product, service, or to fulfil your request (“mandatory fields”), and personal information that, although useful, is optional with respect to that particular product, service or your request. Please be aware that if you do not provide us with mandatory fields, we will not be able to provide you with the product/service or fulfill your request.

Note that in certain jurisdictions, including California, certain limited information that we collect about you may be considered “sensitive,” and they are only collected for the limited purposes needed to fulfill a transaction with you. In particular, certain financial information needed to process transactions may be considered sensitive. Except as a part of an employment or similar relationship, Ardent Mills does not collect, and you should not provide, personal information pertaining to (i) racial or ethnic origin (ii) political beliefs (iii) philosophical or religious beliefs (iv) membership of a trade union or political party (v) physical or mental health or genetic makeup (vi) addictions, sexual life or (vii) the commission of criminal offences or proceedings and associated penalties or fines.

Collection of User Generated Content and Special Features

We may invite you to post content on the Sites, including your comments and any other information that you would like to be available on the Sites, which may become public (“User Generated Content”). If you post User Generated Content, all of the information that you post will be available to authorized personnel of Ardent Mills and may be made available to the public at our discretion, unless limited by specific terms as noted below. You expressly acknowledge and agree that we may access in real-time, record, and store archives of any User Generated Content on our servers to make use of them in connection with the Sites. If you submit a review, recommendation, endorsement, or other User Generated Content through the Sites, or through other websites including Facebook, Instagram, Google, Yelp, and other similar channels, we may share that review, recommendation, endorsement, or content publicly on the Sites.

Some of our Sites include special features, such as licensed content or an online store, as well as password protected areas, such as a discussion forum, a chat room, a careers area, and a customer-only area. When you sign up to use a special feature or password-protected area, you may be asked to agree to special terms governing your use of the special feature or password-protected area. In such cases, you will be asked to expressly consent to the special terms or specific agreement, for example, by checking a box or clicking on a button marked “I agree.” If any of the terms of the agreement or notices on those other Sites are different than the terms of this Privacy Notice or the Terms of Use, the terms of the particular Site’s agreement will supplement or amend this Privacy Notice, but only with respect to the matters governed by that agreement or terms.

What are the sources of personal information collected by Ardent Mills?

When providing personal information to Ardent Mills as described in this Privacy Notice, the majority of that personal information is collected directly from you, or indirectly from you, such as User Content (as defined in our Terms of Use). Ardent Mills does not typically collect personal information from any other sources, except where it may automatically be collected as described in the Cookie Notice.

From time to time, we may supplement the information you give us with information from other sources, such as information validating your address, information based on your zip code, or information about your business. We may also supplement the information you give us with information we collect from you through our affiliates, other company websites, or other channels. For example, if you are an Ardent Mills customer, we may supplement the information you provide through the Sites with information you provide in your other business dealings with Ardent Mills.

In certain limited circumstances, third-party service providers may collect information on behalf of Ardent Mills, though such collection will always be within the context of the Sites.  As described in the Cookie Notice, Ardent Mills may also automatically collect certain information that is considered personal information. In particular, we may collect personal information through the following additional channels:

• Our own cookies on our Sites;
• 3^rd party cookies on our Sites;
• Social media networks;
• 3^rd party software applications.

How does Ardent Mills use personal information?

Subject to the terms of this Privacy Notice and applicable law, Ardent Mills uses the above-described categories of personal information for any legally permissible purpose, including for any of the following purposes:

• to administer the Sites and other services to you;
• to process transactions and manage accounts/records with customers, vendors, or suppliers;
• to respond to your requests or inquiries;
• to distribute communications relevant to your use of the Sites, services or products, such as system updates or information about your use of the Sites;
• as may be necessary to support the operation of the Sites, services or products, such as for billing, account maintenance, and record-keeping purposes;
• to send to you Ardent Mills solicitations, product announcements, and the like that we feel may be of interest to you (you may “opt out” of receiving these marketing materials);
• to notify you about changes to this Privacy Notice;
• to allow you to participate in surveys or provide testimonials;
• to carry out Ardent Mills’ obligations and enforce rights arising from any contracts between you and Ardent Mills or arising from applicable laws and regulations;
• to investigate and deter activity that we, in our reasonable discretion, suspect or determine to be fraudulent, illegal or otherwise inappropriate; and
• in other manners after subsequent notice is provided to you and/or your consent is obtained, if necessary.

Ardent Mills does not sell, re-sell, or distribute for re-sale your personal information, except as required or permitted by law, including in the event of a merger, acquisition, change of control, or sale of substantially all of our assets or our business or similar transaction. If Ardent Mills intends to use your personal information for any purposes outside of those set forth above, then we will obtain your prior consent.

Who does Ardent Mills share your Personal Information with?

We may provide any of the described categories of your personal information to Ardent Mills to certain third persons for the purposes set forth above. In such circumstances, we require that these parties agree to use and protect such information consistent with the terms of this Privacy Notice in writing. Third parties receiving your personal information may include:

• Ardent Mills affiliate entities
• Third-party vendors or service providers providing services, content, or functionality to provide the Sites, services, or products;
• Business partners, contractors, suppliers, channel partners, or other affiliated entities;
• Certain third parties as described in the Cookie Notice; and
• Government agencies or other parties in response to legal process or other requests, where permitted by law.

Except as described above, we will not share your personal information with other, third-party companies for any other purpose, including their commercial or marketing use, without your consent. In addition, please review any click-through agreements or other agreements/notices that may apply to specific Sites or services engaged by you.

In addition, we may release personal information: (i) to the extent we have a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with any applicable law; (ii) to enforce any provision of the Terms of Use or other contract with you, protect ourselves against any liability, defend ourselves against any claims, protect the rights, property and personal safety of any user, or protect the public welfare; (iii) when disclosure is required to maintain the security and integrity of the Sites, or to protect any user’s security or the security of other persons, consistent with applicable laws (iv) to respond to a court order, subpoena, search warrant, or other legal process, to the extent permitted and as restricted by law; (v) in the event that we go through a business transition, such as a merger, divestiture, acquisition, liquidation or sale of all or a portion of our assets; or (vi) for an additional purpose that is directly related to the original purpose for which the personal information was collected from you.

How does Ardent Mills use direct marketing communications?

We may communicate with you using email, SMS, facsimile machines, or calling machines as part of our effort to market our products or services, administer or improve our products or services, or for other reasons stated in this Privacy Notice. You have an opportunity to withdraw consent to receive such direct marketing communications, as permitted by law.

If you no longer wish to receive correspondence, emails, or other communications from us, you may opt-out by one of the following means:

• using the UNSUBSCRIBE link in any email communication you may have received;
• where available, noting your preferences at the time you register your account with the Sites or through another means;
• where available, logging into your account settings and updating your preferences;
• contacting us using the contact information provided below.

We may use third-party marketing providers who have obtained your information from a source other than Ardent Mills to market or promote our products and services (e.g. through your engagement with products or services not associated with Ardent Mills). If you no longer wish to receive emails, SMSs, facsimile messages, or other communications from such third parties, you are responsible for contacting the third party directly.

How long does Ardent Mills retain your personal information?

Ardent Mills will retain your personal information for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Notice, or as required or permitted by law. We will retain and use personal information to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes and enforce our legal agreements and policies. To determine the appropriate retention period for your personal information, we will consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of your personal information, the purposes for which we use your personal information and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements. Once your personal information is no longer reasonably necessary, or relevant for the identified purposes, or required by law to be retained, we will destroy, erase or anonymize your personal information.

Ardent Mills will also retain anonymized usage data for internal analysis purposes. Usage data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of our Sites, or we are legally obligated to retain this data for longer periods.

Security and storage of your personal information

Ardent Mills follows industry standards and takes appropriate measures to preserve the confidentiality of your personal information and to ensure that it is used only for the intended purposes.

International Data Transfer

For individuals located outside the US in particular if you are located in Canada, Brazil, the European Union (“EU”), the European Economic Area (“EEA”), New Zealand, the Republic of South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, or other countries with similar data privacy laws, please note that we and our servers are located in the United States. Ardent Mills does not market to or solicit customers from outside the US, therefore, users of the Sites should not expect to avail themselves of the rights provided under a particular country’s data protection laws. If you use the Sites, all information, including personal information, will be transferred to Ardent Mills in the US. By using the Sites, you unambiguously consent to the transfer of your personal information and other information to the US and elsewhere for the purposes and uses described in this Privacy Notice. Further, you acknowledge that Ardent Mills is not subject to the GDPR or similar international privacy laws, and, therefore, you will be unable to claim the privacy rights provided in those laws.

California and other US State Privacy Rights

If you are a resident of certain states, such as, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, or Virginia, you may have certain data protection rights as a consumer in those states. Please note that, aside from the California law and rights outlined below, such data protection rights do not currently apply in the employment or business-to-business transaction relationships. While such laws may not apply to your relationship with Ardent Mills, we are committed to protecting the personal information of all individuals we employee and do business with. If you have specific requests or questions regarding the processing of your personal information, please contact us as described herein, and we will work with you to resolve such requests or questions.

If you are a California resident, California law may provide you with certain rights with regard to your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, (collectively “CCPA”). Throughout this Privacy Notice you will find information required by CCPA regarding the categories of personal information collected from you; the purposes for which we use personal information, and the categories of third parties your data may be shared with.  This information is current as of the date of this Privacy Notice and is applicable in the 12 months preceding the effective date of this notice.

As a California resident, the CCPA provides you the ability to make inquiries regarding to your personal information. Specifically, the degree to which the information is not already provided in this Privacy Notice, you have the right to request disclosure about the collection and use of your personal information over the past 12 months, including:

• The categories of personal information collected about you.
• The categories of sources for the personal information collected about you.
• The business or commercial purpose for collecting your personal information.
• The categories of third parties with whom your personal information was shared.
• The specific pieces of personal information collected about you.
• If your personal information was disclosed for a business purpose, the personal information categories disclosed and the categories of third parties to which the information was disclosed.
• If your personal information was sold in the past 12 months, the personal information categories sold and the categories of third parties to which the information was sold.

Ardent Mills does not sell, re-sell, or distribute for re-sale your personal information.

Please note that you may only make the above requests twice in a 12-month period. You also have the right to request that any of your personal information collected and retained be deleted, subject to certain exceptions. Finally, you have the right to not receive discriminatory treatment by Ardent Mills or any business for exercising any of the rights provided under CCPA.

You may submit a request regarding your rights under CCPA by contacting us.

If we receive a CCPA request from you, we will first make a determination regarding the applicability of the law, and we will then take steps to verify your identity prior to responding. The steps to verify your identity may vary based on our relationship with you, but, at a minimum, it will take the form of confirming and matching the information submitted in the request with information already held by Ardent Mills and/or contacting you through previously used channels to confirm that you submitted the request (i.e. confirming identity through contact information that we have on file, not the contact information submitted to make the request).

Your rights as stated here can also be exercised by an authorized agent on your behalf. Ardent Mills will follow the standards set by the Attorney General of California regarding designation of an authorized agent to exercise rights under CCPA. You may review information available through from the Attorney General regarding how an individual can be designated as an authorized agent under CCPA.

In addition to California’s privacy legislation, California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits users of the Sites who are California residents to request certain information regarding its disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please contact us as described here.

Personal Information Choices and Access

Subject to certain exceptions as provided by applicable law, you may be entitled to access, correct, or delete your personal information held by us, or withdraw your consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information.  You also may be entitled to request copies of your personal information in a commonly used format or transmit to your personal information to another service provider (if we determine it is technically feasible). To exercise your rights, please contact us. If you have created an account or a personal profile on one of our Sites, you may also be able to access and update some or all of your personal information on your account settings or profile page. In most cases, however, you will need our help. We will respond to you within a reasonable time and within the time limits established by applicable law, if a particular law applies. We may ask you for additional information to verify your identity. In most cases, we will provide access and correct Please note that if you withdraw your consent to our collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, we may limit or deny your request if the law permits or requires us to do so or if we are unable to verify your identify.

Browser Settings and Universal Opt-Out

At this time, Ardent Mills Sites are not able to recognize and or respond to certain browser preference signals or opt-out settings such as Global Privacy Control (“GPC”) or Do Not Track. GPC and “Do Not Track” are browser settings that notify websites of an individual’s privacy preferences. For example, “Do Not Track” is a preference you can set in your web browser to inform websites you visit that you do not wish to be tracked via certain technology like cookies and pixels. Such browser settings must be supported by the website you are visiting to be effective. Ardent Mills is not currently able to support such browser codes, so Ardent Mills will not automatically acknowledge and or respond to your particular settings when you access our Sites. However, you may make a request to opt-out of or limit any processing activities as described herein by contacting us or through the links available on our Sites.

Third-Party Advertisers

We may allow other companies, called third-party ad servers or ad networks, to serve advertisements within the Sites. These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to send, directly to your device, the advertisements and links that appear on the Sites. They automatically receive your device ID and IP address when this happens. They may also use other technologies (such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons) to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and to personalize the advertising content you see. You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers or ad networks for more information on their practices and for instructions on how to opt-out of certain practices. This Privacy Notice does not apply to them, and we cannot control their activities.

Information Security and User Responsibility

We employ industry-standard security measures designed to protect the security of your personal information submitted through the Sites. However, the security of your personal information transmitted through the internet or via a mobile device can never be guaranteed. We are not responsible for any interception or interruption of any communications through the internet or for changes or unauthorized access to or losses or unauthorized use of data.

Users of the Sites are responsible for maintaining the security of any password, user ID or other form of authentication involved in obtaining access to password protected or secure areas of the Sites. In order to protect you and your information, we may suspend your use of any of the Sites, without notice, pending an investigation, if any breach of security is suspected.

External Links

Ardent Mills operates many different websites, each with its own content, features, and functionality. Each Ardent Mills website serves a different purpose and locals. For this reason, not all of our websites are governed by this Privacy Notice. When you use a link on one of our websites to access another Ardent Mills website, take a minute to review the privacy policy or notice posted on that website.

In addition, the websites may contain links to other websites maintained by third parties. Please be aware that we exercise no control over linked websites and Ardent Mills is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites. Each linked website maintains its own independent privacy and data collection policies and procedures, and you are encouraged to view the privacy policies of these other websites before providing any personal information.

You hereby acknowledge and agree that Ardent Mills is not responsible for the privacy practices, data collection policies and procedures, or the content of such third-party websites, and you hereby release Ardent Mills from any and all claims arising out of or related to the privacy practices, data collection policies and procedures, and/or the content of such third-party websites.

Minor’s Privacy

The Sites are not intended for minors under the age of majority in the jurisdiction of your residence, and Ardent Mills does not knowingly collect the personal information of minors under the age of majority. If you are a minor, do not use the Sites.

Changes to this Privacy Notice

Ardent Mills reserves the right to modify this Privacy Notice from time to time in order that it accurately reflects compliance with applicable law and our data collection principles. When changes are made to this Privacy Notice, Ardent Mills will post the revised Privacy Notice on our Site and notify you by revising the date at the top. This Privacy Notice was last modified as of September 1, 2023.

Contact Us

If you have any concerns about Ardent Mills compliance with applicable law, or other questions or comments about this Privacy Notice or the Sites provided by Ardent Mills, please contact us.