General Mills Takes Initiative with GMO Label Roll Out

21 Mar 2016 --- General Mills is to start rolling out labeling of its products that contain genetically modified ingredients (GMO) in the US, as it looks to bring clarity to its customers. The move by the maker of Cheerios and Yoplait follows a failed effort to create a national standard GMO labeling imitative in the Senate.

On July 1 this year, a law stipulating that some products must carry GMO labeling is coming into effect in Vermont.

General Mills, which is backing a standard GMO labeling across the country, is now taking the initiative of rolling it out across its portfolio of products otherwise it says it will be confusing to its customers.

General Mills wants standardisation as it argues that if individual states have their own rules, then it will be costly and time-consuming to meets individual state demands.

GMO labeling is a controversial issue with consumers groups saying that consumers need to be aware when products are genetically engineered.

Jeff Harmening, chief operating officer of retail at General Mills, said: “We can’t label our products for only one state without significantly driving up costs for our consumers.”

“The result: Consumers all over the US will soon begin seeing words legislated by the state of Vermont on the labels of many of their favorite General Mills products.”

“With the Vermont labeling upon us, and with the distinct possibility that other states will enact different labelling requirements, what we need is simple: We need a national solution.”

The move by General Mills, which will roll out the GMO labeling in the coming weeks, mirrors that of Campbell Soup, which in January this year became the first food giant to disclose it would begin adding labeling to products with ingredients including sugar and corn.

Those groups supporting labeling championed the decision by General Mills.

The campaigning group Just Label it said: “If large companies like General Mills and Campbells are accepting that this is what consumers want then so should our political representatives.”

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) responded in a statement: “Today’s announcement is the latest example of how Vermont’s looming labeling mandate is a serious problem for businesses. Food companies are being forced to make decisions on how to comply and having to spend millions of dollars. One small state’s law is setting labeling standards for consumers across the country. GMA member companies such as General Mills are individually deciding how they will comply with the Vermont law, even as the company is working with other food manufacturers, retailers and agriculture groups to continue to push for passage of the federal bill that would protect consumers, farmers and small businesses from a costly patchwork of state labeling laws. This announcement should give new urgency to the need for action on a national law when the Senate returns from its recess in April.”