The Organic Consumer’s Association (OCA), is calling on the organic dairy industry to cut ties with the IDFA (International Dairy Foods Association) because it is one of several trade associations suing Vermont over its GMO labeling mandate.
Voluntary labeling of non-GMO products is a better use of resources, says Safeway
Shareholders at Safeway have rejected a proposal from the Green Century Equity Fund calling for mandatory GMO labeling on its store brands, which company bosses claim would cost $15m+ to implement, while providing zero consumer benefits.
During the IFT 2014 show in New Orleans, FoodNavigator-USA caught up with RIBUS Inc. CEO Steve Peirce for an update on its all-natural and organic rice-based ingredients and the sustainability of rice in a world that faces staggering levels of food waste.
When shopping for food, two-thirds of US consumers look for “locally grown” on labels, while 59% check to see if the products they’re buying are natural, according to a survey from Consumer Reports National Research Center.
You'd think that pro-science,'molecular gastronomists' such as Chef Homaru Cantu would be all in favor of genetically engineered foods, especially if they can add nutrition, or reduce the environmental impact of food production, right?...
A bill that would have required firms to label genetically engineered foods in California has failed to secure sufficient votes in the state senate to pass into law.
Leading academic calls results “out of line and improbable”...
The cost of New York State adopting labeling of GMO ingredient in food products could increase the cost of food for a family of four by $800 per year, says a new economic study from Cornell University. The results have been described as “out of line and...
Guest article: Steven Hoffman, managing director, Compass Natural
Pointing out problems and flaws in organic farming and certification is constructive in that they need to be addressed. But using the imperfections of the organic production system to defend why GMOs are a preferred way to produce food - as Mischa Popoff...
If biotech’s big guns want to seize the initiative in the GMO debate, they should ditch their defensive strategy (telling consumers why they don’t need GMO labels) and go on the offensive, launching a positive campaign about the merits of GM crops, according...
As anti-GMO activists celebrated their first major victory in Vermont this week with the passage of GMO labeling bill H112, the GMA said it would mount a legal challenge within weeks. But while big food companies may well win the courtroom battle ahead,...
An Abbott Laboratories shareholder proposal to label genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) in its Similac infant formula range received about 5% of the vote, and has been rejected by the company.
A bill requiring foods produced with genetic engineering be labeled in Vermont has passed the house and the senate, and now just needs Governor Peter Shumlin’s signature to be signed into law. However, legal experts say a First Amendment challenge could...
As was rumored last week, congressman Mike Pompeo (R-KS) introduced legislation Wednesday that would block the efforts in multiple states to require mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods.
While die-hard opponents of GM crops probably won’t undergo a damascene conversion after checking out the latest updates on ag-biotech-funded website GMO Answers, they are not the target audience, say its backers.
Heinz has vowed to vigorously defend itself after becoming the latest food giant to be targeted in a false advertising lawsuit alleging it is misleading consumers by describing products made from GM crops as ‘all-natural’.
If it’s in the natural channel today, it could be in food, drug and mass merchandise stores tomorrow, so food and beverage trend-spotters were out in force at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim on March 6-9.
5-minutes: Chewing over GMOs with the Snack Food Association
Genetically modified organisms are safe and there is a need and place for them in the market, but manufacturers are removing them for fear of class actions, says the CEO of the Snack Food Association.
Activist group GMO Inside has turned its attention towards Starbucks in the latest phase of its campaign to persuade big brands to move away from GMOs.
First there was the leaked GMA discussion document; now the industry’s biggest players have put their cards on the table via the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, which is seeking federal legislation to create an FDA-administered voluntary program to...
Civil litigation over whether GMOs belong in ‘all-natural’ products will continue to clog up US courts owing to the FDA’s refusal to weigh in on this issue, says Mission tortilla chips maker Gruma Corp.
Many big brands are “playing a waiting game” right now to see whether moves by General Mills and Post Foods to axe GMOs from iconic brands (Cheerios and Grape Nuts) will have a domino effect, say analysts at Euromonitor International.
While federal GMO labeling bills introduced to the House of Representatives and the Senate last year are still gaining co-sponsors, Congress does not need to pass them for the FDA to take action and fulfil a pledge Barack Obama made on the campaign trail...
A new comprehensive test that combines two well-known genetic analysis methods into a single test could help enforce stricter regulation of genetically modified foods in the future, say researchers.
It might have enraged those in favor of mandatory GMO labeling, but a leaked document outlining the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s (GMA’s) ideas for a federally regulated 'voluntary' approach to this issue has been praised by one ex-FDA...
5-minute chat with FoodNavigator-USA and BakeryandSnacks
General Mills’ move to go GMO-free on its flagship Cheerios brand has caused quite a stir. But what motivated this reformulation? And how will it play out?
The FDA has written to three federal judges handling civil cases vs food manufacturers over natural claims to “respectfully decline” their request to come to an administrative determination of whether GMOs belong in ‘all-natural’ foods.
General Mills says original Cheerios will now be made without genetically modified ingredients, citing consumers' growing preference for non-GMO food products. The change doesn’t apply to the other 11 varieties of Cheerios.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents some of the largest food and beverage manufacturers, is seeking approval to label foods containing GMO ingredients “natural”, according to a Dec. 5 letter the GMA sent to the US Food and Drug Administration.
Whole Foods said Wednesday it plans to dump Chobani as a yogurt supplier at the beginning of 2014, citing a number of reasons—primarily that it has become more selective in shelf allocation with the recent explosion of Greek yogurt brands.
Amid mounting false advertising lawsuits and increased pressure from consumer advocacy groups, the future of the historically vague marketing term "natural" is in question.
A controversial new report alleging that genetically engineered foods could be an environmental trigger for gluten sensitivity and celiac disease has been challenged by the Celiac Disease Foundation and a leading plant geneticist.
With more than 85% of the votes in on Washington State's GMO labeling initiative 522 as of Thursday night, it appears that the Yes side has an insurmountable deficit to overcome, getting 47% of votes to the No side’s 53%. (Due to the state’s unique...
I-522 is a victory for the proponents of GMO labeling, no matter how the final polls might turn out, attendees on a United Natural Products Alliance webinar were told yesterday.
The global market for non-GMO food and beverage products shows great promise in the coming years, but its success is far from guaranteed, as global consumer support for mandatory GMO labeling is mixed, and there is little indication of a surge toward...
Initial returns indicate that voters in Washington State have given the thumbs down to GMO labeling proposal I-522, in similar proportions to the vote on California's GMO labeling proposal Prop 37.
With roughly a month to go until voters in Washington State decide whether GMO foods should be labeled, shareholder advocates are calling on the top 10 donors who helped fund the opposition against California’s Prop 37 last year, which was narrowly defeated,...
US retail sales of non-GMO foods and beverages are projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9% in the next five years, and could represent 30% of the market with a value of $264bn in 2017, predicts Packaged Facts.
From California to Washington, and from Connecticut to Vermont, initiatives to label the presence of ingredients derived from genetically modified foods are dominating headlines. Despite this, the CEO of BI Nutraceuticals doesn’t think we’ll see government...
There are no clear plans yet to lift Japan's ban on US western white wheat, a Japanese government official says following a meeting between its ministry and the USDA last week.
A market-driven approach that allows consumers to opt for foods made without genetically modified ingredients is preferable to mandatory labeling via either state or federal statutes, according to the United Natural Products Alliance.
Two leading trade associations representing the natural products and dietary supplements sectors have clarified their stance on GMO labeling this week, with the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) favoring voluntary disclosure of the absence of...
Big interview, Gregory Jaffe, Director of Biotechnology, CSPI
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has made a name for itself by tackling the food industry’s big guns on everything from artery-furring entrees to misleading label claims. But where does it stand on genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
Japan will not lift its ban on US Western White wheat imports until the American government provides detailed information on the extent of unauthorized genetically modified wheat found in Oregon, a government official says.
The campaign for mandatory GMO labeling gained a further boost this week as the Maine House of Representatives voted 141-4 in favor of LD 718, a bill that would require foods made with ingredients from biotech crops to carry the label ‘Produced with Genetic...