Food producers in different markets need to be wary of relevant packaging laws. Especially in a time when GMO labeling is such an important issue, special advisories and extra labels may be needed.
For those who distribute their products in the Vermont area, it will be required to declare that GMOs are being used in a certain item over the next two years. As CNN reports, this is significant because it is the first state to have such a legal requirement that is not contingent on other states doing the same, although it comes with an expectation of legal opposition.
As with others have argued against the use of GMOs in food without labeling, Vermont’s governor, Peter Shumlin, was quoted by the source saying this rule follows in the footsteps of the many countries who already have strict GMO labeling policies
“More than 60 countries have already restricted or labeled these foods, and now one state — Vermont — will also ensure that we know what’s in the food we buy and serve our families,” he said.
However, such a law comes with concern over cost. A Slate article by James McWilliams recently examined the difficulties in determining exactly how much this kind of initiative would tax the average consumer, with conflicting information from different studies making accurate forecasting difficult.
Another piece on this story by NPR looked at the battle that this law faces against overarching federal regulations. According to that source, more than $1 million is being set aside by the lawmakers to prepare for a possible legal defeat within the legislation.
Even if the ultimate result of this campaign is a mandatory food label in every market, cost efficient industrial labeling systems might be a way to alleviate some of the strain for companies.
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