In the best bit of news I have gotten all week, grocery chain Whole Foods, Inc. will begin mandatory labeling all GMO foods! According to the company’s website,
“Clearly labeled products enable shoppers who want to avoid foods made with GMOs to do so. Accordingly, we have set a deadline that, by 2018, all products in our U.S. and Canadian stores must be labeled to indicate whether they contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).”
The company also encourages consumers to learn about the Non-GMO project and to look for the Non-GMO project and certified organic logo to ensure that they are purchasing products that do not contain genetically modified ingredients.
In a statement from the company’s co-chief executive, Walter Robb to NBC news, “We are stepping up our support of certified organic agriculture, where GMOs are not allowed, and we are working together with our supplier partners to grow our non-GMO supply chain.”
Whole Foods have given themselves a deadline of 2018 for the labeling of all GMO products. The company promises to keep us updated with milestones in the next 5 years. Those of us who choose GMO-free foods certainly hail this as a major victory in our fight for transparency over modified foods. After the narrow defeat of California’s Prop 37 in November, 2012, this is a great big step with industry-wide implications. It is yet to be seen if other retailers will follow suit, but it very exciting progress. Thanks, Whole Foods!
Leave a Reply