Whole Foods Pledges to Label All Genetically Modified Food by 2018

Categories: Food Safety

whole-foods-gmo.JPG
ciao_yvon via flickr
Veggies at Whole Foods: In 5 years, they'll be GMO-free
On Friday, Whole Foods Markets announced that all products in their stores with genetically modified ingredients will be clearly labeled within five years. They say they're making the move to meet consumer demand for GMO labeling, and that the five-year time frame is to give their suppliers time to source non-GMO ingredients or to change labels to clearly distinguish those products that contain genetically modified ingredients.

From the blog post announcing the new GMO policy:

Today, we stood up for the consumer's right to know by announcing that all products in our US and Canadian stores containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must be clearly labeled within five years. We heard our customers loud and clear asking us for GMO labeling and we are responding where we have control: in our own stores.

We are the first national grocery chain to set a deadline for full GMO transparency.

This comes just a few months after Proposition 37, the proposition that would have required GMO labeling in California, was defeated in this state's November elections after big agriculture companies like Monsanto poured millions of dollars into an ad campaign claiming the law was confusing and would be costly.

But with recent polls showing that a huge majority of Americans support and want GMO labeling, Whole Foods is making a business decision to give those people what they want. It's a vegan Libertarian's dream come true: big business solving the problems of health-minded elites when the democratic process fails to do so.

See also:
- Prop 37 Goes Down: Big Ag Wins This Round in The Fight For GMO Labeling


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12 comments
Jae Tee
Jae Tee

no clue why people im my state voted against it, in the last election!

Lisa Charles
Lisa Charles

I'm glad the law didn't pass. We don't need any more damn laws. We need to stop spending our money at places, and on products, that don't support our values. I hate the Nanny State as much as genetic modification.

Rita-Chris Dei
Rita-Chris Dei

No. Can you say science over marketing ploys? Just one more reason for Whole Paycheck...I mean Foods to raise their prices.

Brian Knight
Brian Knight

Pulling them all and putting the non GMO in is OF COURSE out of the question for a store that tout’s itself as WHOLE FOODS and bought oput organic groceries all over the country to supply us all with Monsanto drekkk!

Brian Knight
Brian Knight

We’ll be Monsanto’d to death by then.

Brent Oakes
Brent Oakes

What are GMOs doing in whole foods anyhow? Isn't that a contradiction of their name?

Jane C. Arge
Jane C. Arge

I'm pleasantly surprised... because Whole Foods has been weaseled up on this issue for a few years now....and my state, Washington has a pending initiative similar to the one California failed to pass, due to a big corporate money disinformation effort. All it is is consumers wanting to know what they are paying for... it is fine for some people to be a sewer channel if that is what they want.

Eric Chaves
Eric Chaves

The main reason I support this is for consumer protection. We want to be able to choose what we eat.

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