Companies make their stand on Prop 37

This blog has previously reported on the Proposition 37 controversy in California, stemming from the decision citizens could make in their upcoming election that could require food processors and retailers across the country to adjust their custom labels to comply with state laws.

According to a press release by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, a San Francisco-based law firm in the industry, Prop 37 requires that any food produced with some form of genetic engineering (GMO) and offered for retail sale in California to be clearly labeled as such, or it is misbranded. In addition, GMO foods can not contain the world “natural” or else it is also mislabeled.

Unlike its cousin – “organic” – the world “natural” has few restrictions or rules governing its use, making Prop 37 not only controversial as a means of forcing transparency on food labels from producers, but also limiting a well-worn marketing tactic – saying that a product is natural.

But, while many citizens have lobbied for the passing of Prop 37, major corporations have spent more money against it, according to MoneyWatch. Corporations such as Bayer, Coca-Cola, DuPont, General Mills and Pepsico have rallied against it. Some businesses, though, are partnering with the movement as well, such as the German chemical company BASF.

“We support requirements for accurate and informative product labels that communicate information that is relevant to health, safety and nutrition,” wrote BASF in a press release. “In order to provide higher transparency for customers and consumers, we welcome any sort of labeling as long as it is not misleading or discriminatory.”

BASF goes onto confess that they use GMO for “novel processes” and that if a customer requests it, they will label their products as containing GMOs.

As the voting day nears, companies that do business in California may want to invest in a Primera LX900 color label printer. This label printer will allow them to create high quality, custom labels in a short turnaround time.