Campbell Soup’s announcement that it will become the first U.S. company to begin labeling genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in its products garnered accolades on Friday from food and safety groups, who heralded the development as a “significant win” for transparency.
“The decision by Campbell’s sends a clear message to Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers Association which have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat GMO labeling laws,” Ronnie Cummins, the international director for advocacy group Organic Consumers Association, said in a statement.
Campbell made the announcement on Thursday, declaring its support for “mandatory national GMO labeling.” In addition to disclosing GMOs—from corn to soy—the company said it will also “advocate for federal legislation that would require all foods and beverages regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be clearly and simply labeled for GMOs.”
“As a result of its decision to support mandatory national GMO labeling, Campbell will withdraw from all efforts led by coalitions and groups opposing such measures,” the company said.
Campbell did, however, state that GMOs are safe, raising objections from some.
“Ultimately we would like to see Campbell’s source only organic ingredients, from suppliers that use organic, regenerative farming practices,” said Cummins. “And we disagree with the company’s claims that GMOs are safe, especially given that about 85 percent of GMO crops are grown with Monsanto’s Roundup, which contains glyphosate, a probable carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization.
“But,” Cummins added, “we congratulate the company for being the first major brand to provide transparency around GMO ingredients.”
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