Washington State GMO labeling could cost households $520/year

shutterstock
(Credit: Shutterstock via Grist)

“Many Washington state residents know that on November 5, 2013, they will have to vote on whether or not to pass state Initiative 522, which will require special labels on certain foods made with genetically engineered (GE) ingredients.  What many residents don’t know is that a “yes” vote can lead to many costly consequences for families, state residents and farmers,” argues the Washington Research Council’s September 2013 report, “Initiative 522: Costly, Flawed and Ill-Conceived.”

“The study closely examined the proposed legislation and presented several key truths regarding the initiative,” including, for example, the costly exceptions to GM labeling presented in the legislation, the estimated $264 million start-up costs for food producers to comply with I-552, and even the potential $200-$520 increase in yearly household food bills, reports BIOtechNow. Proponents of the bill, however, are lobbying for consumers’ “right to know” what is in their food, and, “that the initiative will not accrue extra costs to the average taxpayer.”

Read the full, original story here: “The Costly Consequences of I-522”

Additional Resources: 

 

 

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosate—the world's most heavily-used herbicide—pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

Picture1
The Orange Bowl without oranges: Can CRISPR save Florida citrus?
global warming
‘Implausible’: Top climate scientists reject worst-case scenario—soaring temperatures and fast-rising sea levels
vax-misinformation-main
Facts & Fallacies Podcast: Limit free speech to blunt social media misinfo?
Screenshot 2026-05-22 at 11.31
‘Realistic and durable’: EPA proposes loosening restrictions on some PFAS ‘forever chemicals.’
ChatGPT Image May 26, 2026, 12_06_53 PM
Fake Ebola cure promoters already cashing in as disinformation videos flood social media
ChatGPT-Image-May-1-2026-11_42_59-AM-2
Viewpoint: NAD is the wellness grifters latest evidence-lite longevity fad. At least the mice are impressed.
Screenshot-2026-04-22-at-12.21.32-PM
Viewpoint: Why the retracted Monsanto glyphosate study doesn’t change the science—the world’s most popular herbicide is safe 
ChatGPT Image May 24, 2026, 03_16_36 PM
Here come the biohackers' Enhanced Games—The Olympics for athletes doping up on steroids, hormones and peptides. What’s wrong with that?
Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-12.15.17-PM
UK gene-editing milestone: Livestock barley that increases ruminant value and reduces methane emissions is first-approved CRISPR crop
Picture1
The FDA couldn’t find a vaccine safety crisis, so it buried its own research
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.