The question of whether to require labels on food with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) pits activists and consumers who favor the labels against big agribusinesses and farmers who generally don’t. An estimated 80 percent of food eaten in the U.S. contains GMOs.
The cost of labeling itself would be “a tiny fraction of the costs” of complying with a labeling law, according to a 2013 report by the Washington Academy of Sciences. The real costs would come from having to separate genetically engineered ingredients from other foods, although the report didn’t give a precise dollar figure. Those extra expenses would then likely be passed on to consumers. Washington’s state budget office estimated it would cost $3.4 million over six years for the state to enforce and administer the labeling requirement that voters considered, and rejected, last year.
Read the full original article: Many States Weigh GMO Labels
