Campbell Soup Co said it now supports mandatory labeling in the US for products containing genetically modified ingredients and that it is to stop backing efforts opposing such disclosures.
The change of heart by the maker of Pepperidge Farm cookies, Prego sauces and Spaghetti-Os marks a break from industry groups that have sought to make labeling voluntary.
About three-quarters of Campbell’s products contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The company has opposed a patchwork of state-by-state legislation that it believes would confuse customers.
States have tried to address the issue on their own, with Vermont passing legislation requiring labeling of genetically modified ingredients on certain products by July, but industry groups want to preempt such efforts with US federal legislation that would make disclosures voluntary, public health lawyer Michele Simon said.
“They’re going for as little as they can,” Simon said.
If a federal labeling standard is not established in a “reasonable amount of time,” Campbell said it would work independently to disclose the presence of GMOs in its products. The company did not specify a time line for doing so.
Genetically modified seeds are engineered in laboratories to have certain traits, like resistance to herbicides. The majority of US corn and soybean crop is now genetically modified, with much of that going to animal feed. Corn and soybeans are also made into popular processed food ingredients, such as high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch and soybean oil.
The food industry says about 75 percent to 80 percent of foods contain genetically modified ingredients. The US Food and Drug Administration has said that GMOs are safe.
Still, the number of products stamped with a voluntary “non-GMO” label from a third-party group has proliferated as the issue has gained attention. The label, which is displayed on the front of packages, has become a marketing tool in some cases.
Campbell is also calling on the US federal government to propose a national standard for “non-GMO” claims made on food packaging.
The company’s disclosure of GMO ingredients likely would not be as prominent as the “non-GMO” labels displayed on some products.
An image provided by Campbell to illustrate compliance with the Vermont law showed the back of a Spaghetti-Os can with the words “Partially produced with genetic engineering” in small print at the bottom.
Campbell CEO Denise Morrison has been outspoken about the need for large food makers to adapt to changing tastes. The company, based in Camden, New Jersey, has been diversifying its packaged food lineup with offerings that are seen as fresher.
“We have always believed that consumers have the right to know what’s in their food,” Morrison wrote.
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