Dive Brief:
- CEO David Berg of American Crystal Sugar Co., the largest U.S. sugar beet cooperative, spoke out against the anti-GMO movement and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, who has called for an end to government support for the sugar industry.
- Berg said the company can handle Hershey's move to buy only non-GMO cane sugar, but he is concerned whether more companies will do the same.
- Berg also said that the company's growers could produce non-GMO beets, but for now, he sees "no good reason" to do so.
Dive Insight:
The battle over GMO labeling continues as consumers and food companies await the Senate's decision over whether it will pass a bill like the House did (H.R. 1599) earlier this year, which calls for a voluntary rather than mandatory GMO labeling policy. In October, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing to discuss GMO labeling.
However, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) doubts that a GMO labeling rider will receive the support its backers are hoping for.
"Stabenow said the issue could wait until the beginning of next year since 'at this point there is not the bipartisan consensus' needed to get a measure passed," Politico reported.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has introduced a bill (S. 511) that would require mandatory GMO labeling and said in a statement that she "won't support any bill that would inhibit the right of our citizens to know what's in the food they eat and feed their families."
Hershey is not the only manufacturer to decide on using non-GMO ingredients, as McCormick made a similar announcement earlier this year, and more companies are following suit. Non-GMO foods are a fast-growing industry, with $200 billion in U.S. sales last year, and Packaged Facts expects the total global market for non-GMO products to nearly double by 2019 at a CAGR of 15% between 2014 and 2019.
Berg will be retiring from his position as CEO of Crystal Sugar in 2016.