Dive Summary:
- Vermont-based ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's is removing genetically-modified organisms from its ice cream.
- The company says that 80% of its ingredients are sourced non-GMO and that the conversion process may last into 2014 due to as many as 40 ingredients being contained in a single flavor.
- Less than a year ago, Ben & Jerry's parent company, Unilever, donated close to half a million dollars toward the defeat of Proposition 37, a California ballot initiative that would have required labels on genetically-modified food.
From the article:
... Genetically modified foods, which are engineered to resist insecticides and herbicides, have been a source of controversy in the U.S. and abroad. Supporters say the plants boost crop yields, increasing the global food supply, while critics argue the chemicals can be harmful to the environment and lead to serious health problems. Protesters in cities across the country took to the streets last week to demonstrate against Monsanto, the company most synonymous with GMOs. ...