Tiny Vermont is on the verge of giving Big Food a huge headache.
Late last month, the Vermont legislature passed a law requiring the labeling of food containing genetically modified ingredients. The governor has promised to sign the bill this week. The real concern is that other states — about a quarter of which have some kind of GM-labeling legislation or ballot initiative in the works — may follow Vermont’s lead. This could prove intolerable to the food industry.
Here’s why: Different product labels would be needed for states that require labeling and for those that don’t. States that require labels might also require certain terms or specify their placement. Such a legal patchwork would be cumbersome, not to mention costly, for food companies and in turn consumers.
It is understandable that the industry resists labeling because of the success GM foes have had in stigmatizing both GM products and science in general. The food makers risk losing this fight if other states follow Vermont’s lead, which seems inevitable at this point. New York’s legislature moved closer to voting on a labeling bill.
So what should the industry do? First, get behind a national labeling standard; the worst thing for the industry is the hodgepodge now taking shape. Then reconsider the spending. The industry has pumped many millions of dollars into labeling battles and seems destined to spend much more. Why not do something useful with the money instead, like educating consumers on the improvements science has made to our food supply, or helping to ward off hunger around the world? Those are battles worth winning.
Read the full, original article: Big Food’s Big Loss on Genetic Labels
