Vermont governor signs bill calling for labeling GMO foods into law

Vermont's governor yesterday signed a bill into law that would require labeling of genetically modified foods, the first such law in the US.

The new law would require food offered for retail sale that was entirely or partially produced with genetic engineering to be labeled as such by July 2016.

According to governor Peter Shumlin, Vermonters took their food and how it was produced seriously, and believed they had a right to know what was in the food they bought. Over 60 countries had already restricted or labeled these foods, and now one state -- Vermont -- would also ensure that people knew what was in the food they bought and served their families.

According to the non-profit Center for Food Safety, in the absence of federal action, other states had introduced similar legislation or ballot initiatives.

Maine and Connecticut had passed laws for labeling, but they would not go into effect until other states passed GMO-labeling laws.

According to the watchdog group, Vermont was the first to pass a "no strings attached" bill.

Supporters of the law expect a court battle over the issue.

Vermont attorney general William Sorrell said he could make no predictions or promises about how the courts would ultimately rule but he could promise that his office would mount a vigorous and zealous defence of the law that had so much support from Vermont consumers.

According to Cathleen Enright, executive vice president for food and agriculture for the Biotechnology Industry Organisation, a trade group, mandated labeling could make food costs for the average household increase as much as $400 a year.

Stressing that foods made from genetically modified crops were as safe as any other, she said these same GM crops had enabled farmers to produce more on less land with fewer pesticide applications, less water and reduced on-farm fuel use.

The US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, in June, approved a non-GMO label for meat and liquid egg products.

Approval of GMO foods for human consumption was granted in 1995, but no labels declaring them as such were required by the Food and Drug Administration.