GMO Labeling: What’s Going On?

Informed food-buying consumers and the ease of obtaining in-depth product information from the internet have extended the battle for wallet share far beyond visual design. Bright colors and unique label patterns are no longer enough to secure brand loyalty; food manufacturers must court the ethical stances and dietary preferences of their demographics as well. One of the most prominent arguments duking it out on store shelves currently is GMO, or genetically modified organisms, versus Non-GMO ingredients, and the latter is winning.
 

Why Does GMO Labeling Matter?

The green living movement has picked up a great deal of momentum in recent years, spurred on by advocates ranging from passionate food bloggers to manufacturers of non-GMO and other natural ingredients. The food industry, compelled to respond to the controversy, has also – perhaps inadvertently – contributed to the spotlight on GMOs, compounding the polarizing effect they seem to have on the American shopping cart. The prevailing thought driving the anti-GMO movement is that “natural” food has been manipulated at a genetic level by manmade processes, removing or compromising the formerly wholesome qualities of that food product in a quest for operational efficiency and profit. GMO advocates fire back that there is no proof to support claims of danger or nutritional safety impact, and aren’t afraid to take their refuting studies to print via sources, such as Forbes and the Wall Street Journal.
 

The Movement is Growing

As with most natural food trends and market segmentation, labeling may have begun with smaller, boutique companies, but it quickly spread to the heavy hitters when consumers favorably embraced the concept. This extends not only to foods without genetically modified ingredients, but also those that contain them. Candy manufacturers Mars, ConAgra Foods, and Campbell’s Soup have publicly declared their intent to start labeling GMOs, as have Kellogg’s and General Mills. These companies are likely stepping forward in the hopes that transparency and honesty will win over consumers, as opposed to switching to GMO-free ingredients, which are often harder to obtain and more expensive across the supply chain.
 

It’s Not The Law…Yet

Several bills have been introduced in recent years that would allow companies to decline disclosing genetically modified ingredients. One of the latest attempts has been dubbed DARK, or Deny Americans the Right to Know, act by its opponents. It failed to pass the Senate, but it is only the most recent of several so-called “no” bills, each heavily funded by the food companies it would impact. Some of these bills flounder because companies back away from funding during the long haul of a bill’s transit to law. They want to avoid the perception that they’re hiding something, so they’re reluctant to tag along for the long haul. Even with four permutations of the bill already created and voted down, it seems unlikely that “no” bills will cease, provided no federal law is passed requiring GMO labeling in the interim.
 

It’s Not Necessarily Nefarious

Why would companies support an anti-labeling bill if they have nothing to hide? There are many reasons, and most of them come down to cost. GMOs, which have not been scientifically proven to carry danger or provide less nutrients than their non-modified counterparts, are typically created to increase crop yield or minimize spoilage. That means that a genetically modified crop is typically more profitable and secures a more consistent yield, which is excellent news for a busy food supply chain. Requiring labeling would trigger an expensive and time-consuming supply chain audit, as well as periodic assessments to ensure compliance. Some companies may not have access to non-GMO counterparts for important ingredients, forcing them to brand their labels with what is widely perceived to be something of a scarlet letter, and suffer a subsequent dip in sales. Scientific evidence or not, this scenario could send a great deal of formerly-loyal consumers running to a non-GMO rival, even though they’d been safely enjoying a genetically modified product for several years, none the wiser.
 

GMO labeling – voluntary for now, but potentially legally required in the future – is steadily becoming a marketing bullet point on store shelves, particularly among specialty foods. Just as visible and hotly-debated as the organic or gluten-free movements, it now has the backing of at least five major food product brands, which are tipping the scales in favor of labeling by their mere presence. What does the future hold for genetically modified food? Make no mistake: consumers, voting with their dollar, will be the ones to determine what food labels look like in the months and years to come.
 

Sources

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/candy-maker-mars-adding-gmo-labeling-products/story?id=37839000

http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2016/03/conagra-and-kellogg-s-joins-general-mills-and-mars-label-gmos

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2014/09/17/the-debate-about-gmo-safety-is-over-thanks-to-a-new-trillion-meal-study/#56513b0ca937

http://www.wsj.com/articles/more-foods-boast-non-gmo-labelseven-those-without-gmo-varieties-1440063000

Image Source

http://ecowatch.com/2015/07/14/dark-act-heads-to-house-floor/

Categorias: Consumer Packaged Goods

Tags: consumer gmo gmo labeling,