Campbell’s CEO Denise Morrison announced this week that her company will identify the presence of genetically engineered ingredients in its products. This decision was brought about by Vermont’s legislation requiring such disclose. As no federal standard yet exists, Campbell’s is preparing to label all of it’s affected products before Vermont’s law takes effect in July. Additionally, Campbell’s has launched a website, www.whatsinmyfood.com, that provides customers with more information across genetically modified ingredients, and common sources of GMOs. It also provides a list of Campbell’s products that do not contain GMOs.
Campbell’s is calling for a federal standard to remove inconsistencies by state, and by product. Morrison points out that the way the Vermont legislation is currently written, it only requires disclosure on products governed by the FDA. For instance, GMO disclosure is required on SpaghettiO’s, which are overseen by the FDA, but not on SpaghettiO’s with Meatballs, as that product is overseen by the Department of Agriculture. Morrison went on to say that Campbell’s will withdraw from any organization that does not support labeling, saying “we’ve always believed consumers have a right to know what is in their food.” To read more on this subject, read the NY Times’ writeup.