More than 125,000 people have signed a consumer petition demanding that major food and chemical companies stay out of the corporate campaigns opposing voter initiatives to require labeling of GMO foods in Washington state and around the country, Just Label It and the Environmental Working Group said today.
“The support for this petition is more evidence that consumers insist on knowing more about the ingredients in their food and want companies to stop spending millions of dollars to deny them that right,” said EWG’s president Ken Cook. “These expensive lobbying efforts by the food and chemical industries are sending consumers the message that they have something to hide.”
The 65 companies targeted donated more than $45 million last year to narrowly defeat a labeling initiative (Proposition 37) in California. Nearly half of those companies have contributed $17 million to the “No on 522” campaign in Washington state.
The list of companies fighting GMO labeling in Washington state include Pepsico, Coca-Cola, Nestle USA, General Mills and Kellogg’s Company, according to documents filed with the state’s Public Disclosure Commission. The full list of companies was made available after the Grocery Manufacturers Association got slapped with a lawsuit and was pressured by consumer advocacy groups, including EWG and JLI, for more transparency.
“Smart companies like Mars and Unilever have recognized that the fight is worse than the label,” said JLI Executive Director Scott Faber. “Denying consumers the right to know what’s in their food costs more in lost brand reputation and consumer loyalty than the cost of adding the words ‘may contain genetically engineered ingredients’ to the back of the label.”
Polls consistently show more than 90 percent of Americans support labeling of genetically engineered foods. More than 60 countries around the world already mandate labeling.
A total of 26 states in the U.S. have introduced labeling in 2013. Two states, Connecticut and Maine, have already approved GMO labeling laws. Voters in Washington state began casting ballots last week to approve labeling in their state.
(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Of course, the center of attention is the KING AMENDMENT that could end up in the US FARM BILL 2013 – we must act to sign petitions and call reps and senators if we have not done so. The King Amendment is now poised to cancel out the rights of states in legislation for crops, farming, livestock, and more. Yes, canceling the 10th AMENDMENT if allowed to go in this bill – so gmo labeling will be in the hands of the government only.