'Vermont Wins, Mandatory GMO Labeling Will Start in July'

Vermont Wins, Mandatory GMO Labeling Will Start In July

Another big WIN for the Green Mountain State. I'm relieved to hear this news as I'm sure many others on here will be:

The tiny state of Vermont appears to have won a 2-year GMO labeling battle against the big food companies, despite the industry spending tens of millions of dollars to lobby Congress. The state’s new law is only enforceable within its borders, but logistics make it too costly to provide labels for just the Freedom and Unity state. As a result, the country as a whole will get to see more information about what’s in their food – at least with General Mills and Campbell Soup products.

Vermont passed a law requiring food sold in the state to include GMO labeling back in 2014, which the food industry said would start chaos. But, the law is just a few months away from coming into effect, and so companies are weighing their options, according to MSN.

General Mills and Campbell Soup complain that labeling is too costly for just one state, so they’ll just label all their food products for the entire country.

I'm actually really impressed with this case - I was very convinced the paid lobbyists and private interest groups win 99% of the time but this is encouraging to see. Continuing...

Now that even General Mills is acquiescent, Vermont’s new law appears inevitable. Governor Peter Shumlin hopes other companies would follow suit. “This shows that the United States has the capacity to join the 64 other countries that already require GMO labeling. I urge other companies to follow the lead of General Mills and extend this right to their customers nationwide as well.”

Campbell Soup was the first company to announce they’d abide and extend the labeling nationally, but said at the time a state-by-state approach was not appropriate.

“Although we believe that consumers have the right to know what’s in their food, we also believe that a state-by-state piecemeal approach is incomplete, impractical and costly to implement for food makers. More importantly, it’s confusing to consumers.” General Mills CEO Jeff Harmening wrote his opinion in a blog post.

What do you think - is this going to be a temporary win until the opposition sends another wave of attorneys and legislators to battle with the little guy again?

Will Big Food companies step up their game on fighting the Average Joe and labeling laws in other places? Or will this set any precedence? I doubt it the latter, bet the big companies will invest much more resources in fighting these thing. I hope this is something that remains in place... there's already enough crap we're exposed to in our food supply. GMOs can serve a purpose (I think?), but I don't want to EAT that crap, especially the bt-corn and soybeans that are designed to make the pests' stomachs/bowels explode when they eat it (NO I don't want those goings into MY stomach, who the **** thought we should introduce THAT type of GMO into our food supply? absurd that no one cares what's in our food.. corn and soy are in virtually everything - look at any bread/pasta/cracker/cookie product... frozen foods, most snack foods, etc.)

2nd source from today: www.agweb.com...

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This was a great week! The Dark Act was stymied for now, as a result Con Agra , GM and a whole bunch of conventional companies have decided to label their foods as GMO.

My only concern is that they will be grinning up pro GMO "science "

a reply to: FamCore

Cigarettes have labels on them, too. Wished there was some way to stop the consolidation of food by Monsanto. They got a patent on life, that should be revoked.

a reply to: FamCore

Thank you for sharing this!!

It is proof positive that there is much change going on in the awareness of the population.

They can have their paid scientists promote their product as much as they want. People have been voting with their dollar and it is showing.

The good people of Vermont have not only done themselves and amazing service in demanding to know what is in their food. they have paved the way for it to spread across the nation!

a reply to: intrptr

Stuff enough money in the FDAs pocket and you get away with murder. Literally.

a reply to: FamCore

I think it's a great victory, but it's not over.

I think that no matter how you feel about the actual issue of labeling GMO products, this is a victory for the right of individual states to have control over what happens in their state. We need more victories for state rights.

a reply to: FamCore

Not only that but Campbell is making some organic products and labeling as such. Even Wallmart has an organic brand. Last year organic products made 4 billion and I think the other companies will recognize if they don't come on board their profits will suffer. Course they will suffer when they label GMO as well...at least the informed consumer will avoid and more and more are getting the message.

As for congress...I wonder what their family eats. Remember Monsanto's anger when Michelle Obama had an organic garden put in when they won the whitehouse.

a reply to: FamCore

I love Vermont. If only there were more jobs and less winter, I'd be there in a heartbeat! Maybe it's easier to retain freedom in a smaller, less-populous state, I don't know, but Vermonters(?) have had the ideal of freedom ingrained in them more than any other state in the Union for a long time now.

I think this is great news. There is NO good reason why people should not be entitled to know the ingredients in their food. Unfortunately, just about everything has GMO in it in the USA. I am submitting an image of the ingredients in Hostess Twinkies sold in the USA. I am also submitting a copy and paste of the ingredients in Hostess Twinkies sold in the UK. (My PDF printing capability is temporarily inhibited). Both are in English. If 64 countries can have a complete list of the ingredients and GMO indications, it would be the USA which is costing more for specialized ingredient listing.

USA Hostess Twinkies

Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cakes 10S 385G

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Iron, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Folic Acid), Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup*, High Fructose Corn Syrup*, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Shortening (Soybean* Cotton Seed Oil, Canola Oil, Beef Fat), Eggs, Dextrose, Soy Lecithin*, Raising Agents: Sodium Bicarbonate (E550), Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Corn Starch and Monocalcium Phosphate, Modified Corn Starch*, Glucose, Whey (from Milk), Glycerin, Soybean* Oil, Salt, Mono & Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (E471), Polyoxyethylene Sorbitan Monostearate (E435), Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate (E481), Preservative: Sorbic Acid (E200), Stabiliser: Xanthan Gum (E415) & Cellulose Gum, Enzymes, Allura Red (E129)**, Tartrazine (E102)*, **May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children, *Genetically Modified

Allergy Information:
Contains gluten (from wheat)
Contains: Gluten, Wheat, Eggs, Milk, SoyaSoybeans

www.tesco.com...

Notice also the warning of possible adverse effects in children on the red dye. YIKES.

Why do the corporations complain that this is going to cost them millions? Most of them are always adding a new movie character or promotional item on to their label so the cost of printing new ones and even the print layout work should be very similar to what they are spending right now for all of those packages with contests or movie tie-ins on them. Sure they may have to investigate what is in the product and get the right spelling of the words but I am pretty sure there is a handful of things that, once learned, they can print on hundreds of packages. They could pick up the pallets of food from stores in VT, exchange them with the new product as they become available and redistribute the rest in other states until their new labels can go everywhere.(if that ever happens)
I do not see millions lost here and maybe the early adopters could use it to their advantage by putting a large "Check out what's inside, labelled with pride! " sort of campaign.

Even with the complex logistics of getting the product redistrubuted it should be a very workable solution.

Still not convinced on the healthy or unhealthy bits of GMO, though I think knowing if it's GMO or "organic" isn't a bad idea. Seems like they just don't want the average joe to know because they know they're going to loose a lot of customers through this. Always follow the money right?

They already have labels on their products, how can it cost them anything to add a few words or a GMO free logo? With computer to printing press software and technology, even Mary in accounting, who made invitations once before, could do that.

They are just making up excuses to avoid the buyer backlash once people know that their products contain GMOs. I bet they would have no problem labeling organically grown products so they can charge the consumer more for it. Why not just charge a little extra for non-GMO products to cover the supposed extra cost of the labeling expense? If they are so against the new labeling, I would have to assume that all their products contain some or all GMOs. What they don't say can be very revealing.

a reply to: FamCore

I usually skip your posts(sorry, but the irritating signature that is also your avatar just, well, irritates me) but this is different. A thread and a topic I do care about so I had to read.

I'm actually really impressed with this case - I was very convinced the paid lobbyists and private interest groups win 99% of the time but this is encouraging to see.

Impressed is too small of a word. I'm thinking astounding is a better fit. How the hell this got passed, with all the millions of dollars against it, is, um, well, astounding. From a CT standpoint, it doesn't make sense.

This isn't supposed to happen. It should never have gotten to this point as we all should have the right to know what the heck is in our food but Vermont is suddenly looking like a nice place to move to. Though, this will happen in other states as it "costs" too much for labeling in one state but good on Vermont for fighting this and winning.

This can only be good for all of us. Great thread, even though I dislike the siggy. Sorry to bring that up again but I just have to be the guy that bucks the system.

Oh yeah, one other point. If corporations are made of people, then why are those people trying to screw not only us but themselves in the name of greed? Do they not realize the damage they are doing to humanity? The money they make now will not help their children, or their children's kids, if the world becomes unsustainable for life? Monsanto won't let their employees eat their own food, so what does that say about us a species?

We are doing this to ourselves. Or, I'm the only one who sees this and I'm a nutter?

A big win for the average Joe and Jane, at last!

And yes, your individual choices make a lot of difference! Can I just say "Thank you!!!" to everyone who has taken steps to value health over convenience! Your actions are making a difference for all of us!

www.marketplace.org...

Processed and packaged foods are declining in popularity, and have been for a while... hidden gmo ingredients are just one reason.

a reply to: FamCore

It will be interesting to see the effect this will have in the food stores. Prices will skyrocket for non-GMOs, and some foods are likely to disappear altogether. The government will need to hire inspectors to check the shelves to make sure all the products are properly labeled, and checkpoints at the state borders established to prevent smuggling of unlabeled GMO products. Of course, organic farmers will need to provide documentation that their seeds were non-GMO, which will be difficult to do if they produce their own seed stock. Oh yes, and the state will need to fund a laboratory to test random foodstuffs for genetic purity. Well, Vermonters don't mind higher prices, more taxes, and more intrusive government, so it's all good.

At first, I thought they would just jack up the price of the food, to "punish" people for wanting this, and getting it past. But then I realized, if they do that, even more people will buy the organics.

I'm just glad this past passed. More people need to wake up to what they are really eating. And how much control Monsanto actually has of it.

a reply to: chiefsmom

At first, I thought they would just jack up the price of the food, to "punish" people for wanting this, and getting it past.

The increased demand and fixed supply of organic food will cause the price of certified organic food to skyrocket. It takes years for a farm to get FDA certification, and now they will be required to document that their seeds are non-GMO, yet another expensive hoop to jump through.

originally posted by: Zerodoublehero
a reply to: intrptr

Stuff enough money in the FDAs pocket and you get away with murder. Literally.

Quite right.

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: Zerodoublehero
a reply to: intrptr

Stuff enough money in the FDAs pocket and you get away with murder. Literally.

Quite right.

So if the FDA is as corrupt as you believe it is, this law will do nothing but lead to increased prices and scarcity without actually keeping the public informed? Why the celebrations?

originally posted by: DJW001

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: Zerodoublehero
a reply to: intrptr

Stuff enough money in the FDAs pocket and you get away with murder. Literally.

Quite right.

So if the FDA is as corrupt as you believe it is, this law will do nothing but lead to increased prices and scarcity without actually keeping the public informed? Why the celebrations?

I wann't 'celebrating', merely agreeing…