Mars, Inc., manufacturer of M&M's, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers and the much-loved Snickers, is joining several other food companies in the U.S. that will add GMO (genetically modified organisms) labels on their candy and chocolate products. Earlier this year, Campbell Soup Company and General Mills joined the growing club.
Apart from candy and chocolate products, these American companies will also add GMO labeling to their soups, cereals and several more processed foods that contain GMO in compliance with the Vermont law that will kick off in July. The new law requires all manufacturers to display the GMO label on their products or on the shelves in supermarkets and stores where they are being sold or displayed.
Mars Inc. committed to the removal of artificial food coloring in all of their human food products. However, the company firmly believes that GM ingredients are safe, which makes their stand different from others.
"Food developed through biotechnology has been studied extensively and judged safe by a broad range of regulatory agencies, scientists, health professionals, and other experts around the world," wrote Mars Inc. on the company website.
Mars Inc. stressed that the addition of the GMO labeling will be added on their products nationwide out of compliance with the Vermont law. Campbell aired the same sentiments when they added the new labeling in January this year.
According to Vermont politicians, the new law isn't necessarily about the health risks that come with eating foods with genetically modified ingredients. They said that the Vermont law is about the consumers' right to know what is in their food. Moreover, it's about the consumers' right to know what kind of agricultural system their purchased food brands support.
"The idea is a simple one: Vermonters should have the right to know what is in the food they buy. We already require food companies to label nutritional values like calories or sugar content and to include an ingredient list," Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin wrote in the Vermont website.
Shumlin said that more than 64 countries already made GMO labeling a requirement. He highlighted that even Campbell Soup and General Mills already acknowledged the consumers' need for transparency and voluntarily labeled their products.
Photo: Torben Hansen | Flickr
