Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
How A Vermont Law Is Turning The Food Industry On Its Head
The Associated Press: Tiny Vermont Brings Food Industry To Its Knees On GMO Labels
General Mills’ announcement on Friday that it will start labeling products that contain genetically modified ingredients to comply with a Vermont law shows food companies might be throwing in the towel, even as they hold out hope Congress will find a national solution. Tiny Vermont is the first state to require such labeling, effective July 1. Its fellow New England states of Maine and Connecticut have passed laws that require such labeling if other nearby states put one into effect. The U.S. Senate voted 48-49 Wednesday against a bill that would have blocked such state laws. (Rathke, 3/19)
The Associated Press: General Mills To Label Products With GMOs Ahead Of Vt. Law
General Mills said Friday it will start labeling products across the country that contain genetically modified ingredients to comply with a law set to go into effect in Vermont. The maker of Cheerios and Yoplait said it is impractical to label its products for just one state. And with no deal yet for national legislation on GMO labeling, the company said it decided to add the disclosures required by Vermont starting in July to products throughout the U.S. (Choi and Jalonick, 3/18)
The Wall Street Journal: General Mills To Label GMOs In Products Nationwide
General Mills Inc. is changing its labels nationwide to indicate whether its foods contain genetically modified organisms, ahead of a Vermont law that will mandate it as of July. “The complexity and the cost of having one system for Vermont and one for everywhere else is untenable,” Jeff Harmening, the company’s chief operating officer of U.S. retail, said in an interview. He said he is still hopeful that Congress will pass a national law that would supersede such state laws, but the company had to move ahead to comply with Vermont. (Gasparro, 3/18)
