A third major food company, Mars Inc., says it will put GMO labels on its products nationwide and pointed to Vermont’s first-in-the-nation labeling law as the impetus. The announcement by Mars, known for candy and chewing gum, sharpened the debate over federal labeling standards, now voluntary, for GMO foods.
“It’s clear the Senate won’t support something that isn’t mandatory,” said Scott Faber of the Just Label It campaign. The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) says there is “a strong bipartisan consensus” for pre-emption of state GMO food-label laws.
Vermont’s label law takes effect July 1, with a six-month grace period for compliance. The food industry says companies face billions of dollars in costs to revamp production lines, print new labels and change delivery routes to comply with the law. General Mills said last week that it would put GMO labels on products nationwide rather than pay significant costs to label products to be sold in one state.
“To comply with that [Vermont] law, Mars is introducing clear, on-pack labeling on our products that contain GM ingredients nationwide,” said a Mars statement. The company said GMOs are safe and that “we’re also committed to being transparent with our consumers so they understand what’s in the products they love.” Mars told Dow Jones that it updated its website on its GMO policy on Friday. The change captured public attention on Monday.
“These company announcements show that the Senate needs to find and pass a uniform national standard for food labeling when it returns in April from its recess,” said Roger Lowe of GMA. “There continues to be a strong bipartisan consensus to protect American consumers from the increased food costs and confusion of a 50-state patchwork of labeling laws, and GMA is committed to rolling up our sleeves to work with Chairman [Pat] Roberts and Sen. [Debbie] Stabenow to find and enact a bipartisan solution.”
GMA opposes mandatory labeling as unnecessary and a stigma that would drive away consumers. The labeling campaign’s unalterable goal is to put “made with GMOs” on food packages.
Faber said the Senate rejection of a bill that linked state pre-emption and voluntary disclosure indicated the Senate should look for a system of mandatory disclosure that would satisfy consumers and foodmakers — “a solution that allows consumers to identify GMOs at a glance.” He declined to discuss components of such a system.
In late 2015, GMA launched the voluntary SmartLabel initiative under which food companies use QR codes on packages, websites and toll-free telephone lines to provide information about GMO ingredients. The Senate bill that was defeated last week proposed a similar system of voluntary disclosure with a provision for it to become voluntary if too few products were covered.
In January, Campbell Soup split with the food industry and announced its support for mandatory GMO labeling and said it would label its products if there was no nationwide resolution.