Dive Brief:
- A U.S. district court ruled against a request for a preliminary injunction to prevent Vermont's GMO labeling law, Act 120, from going into effect. The law is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2016, as initially planned.
- The injunction was requested by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and other industry groups, including the Snack Food Association, the International Dairy Foods Association, and the National Association of Manufacturers.
- The court did side with the industry groups on other issues, including the act prohibiting manufacturers from using various forms of the word "natural" on the labeling of any GMO products. The court said the act did not provide a clear definition of the word.
Dive Insight:
Along with the Grocery Manufacturers Association there were declarations from major food industry companies, such as Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, Inc., General Mills, Inc., ConAgra Foods, Inc. and Kraft Foods Group, Inc. These declarations argued that "it is virtually impossible to manufacture many foods with non-bioengineered/non-G.M.O. sources for several reasons, including the prevalence of G.M.O. crops nationwide and the unavailability of non-G.M.O. ingredients in relation to demand," according to Food Business News.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association further defended manufacturers' interests, saying, "Manufacturers are being harmed, and they are being harmed now. Act 120 is unconstitutional and imposes burdensome new speech requirements on food manufacturers and retailers. It will also set the nation on a path toward a 50-state patchwork of G.M.O. labeling policies that will be costly and confusing for consumers," reported Food Business News.
The judge said, quoting the state's court filings, "The safety of food products, the protection of the environment, and the accommodation of religious beliefs and practices are all quintessential governmental interests, as is the State's desire 'to promote informed consumer decision-making,' " the Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, mandatory GMO labeling supporters are honing in on PepsiCo.