Dive Brief:
- U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss heard competing motions regarding Vermont's law that requires food companies to label products that contain or may contain genetically modified organisms, which was signed into law by Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin in May 2014.
- The Grocery Manufacturers Association, joined by the Snack Food Association, the International Dairy Foods Association, and the National Association of Manufacturers, brought the lawsuit against the state of Vermont, saying that the law is unconstitutional, as interstate commerce should not be controlled by the state.
- As it stands, the law would not take effect until July 1, 2016.
Dive Insight:
GMO labeling initiatives have been attempted in several states across the country. In California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, ballots for GMO labeling have been rejected. Two other New England states, Maine and Connecticut, have passed GMO labeling laws. However, they will only take effect based on the actions of surrounding states. In December, some lawmakers agreed that federal regulations for GMO labeling would be better than a patchwork of state regulations.