Whole Foods Plans to Label All Products Disclosing
GMOs
By
FBWorld Team
Whole
Foods Market announced at Natural Products Expo West
that, by 2018, all products in its U.S. and Canadian stores must
be labeled to indicate whether they contain genetically modified
organisms (GMOs). It is the first national grocery chain to set
a deadline for full GMO transparency.
“We
are putting a stake in the ground on GMO labeling to support the
consumer’s right to know,” said Walter Robb, co-CEO
of Whole Foods Market. “The prevalence of GMOs in the U.S.
paired with nonexistent mandatory labeling makes it very difficult
to select non-GMO products. We are increasing our support of organic,
and we are working with our supplier partners to grow our non-GMO
supply chain to ensure we can continue to provide these choices
in the future.”
Whole
Foods Market now has 3,300 Non-GMO Project verified products,
more than any North American retailer. In 2009, it began putting
its 365 Everyday Value™ line through Non-GMO Project™
verification and encouraged its grocery suppliers to do the same.
It is expanding this effort to work with all suppliers as they
transition to ingredients from non-GMO sources, or clearly label
products containing GMOs by the five-year deadline. The company
will announce its progress along the way.
“We’re
responding to our customers who have consistently asked us for
GMO labeling and we are doing so by focusing on where we have
control: in our own stores,” said Robb.
GMOs
are now part of an ongoing national conversation, thanks to efforts
of various advocacy groups and to U.S. states considering their
own labeling laws. Robb added, “While we are encouraged
by the many mandatory labeling initiatives, we are committed to
moving forward with our own GMO transparency plan now.”
“We
have always believed quality and transparency are inseparable
and that providing detailed information about our products is
part of satisfying and delighting the millions of people who place
their trust in Whole Foods Market each day,” said A.C. Gallo,
president of Whole Foods Market. “This bold task will encourage
manufacturers to ask deeper questions about ingredients and it
will help us provide greater transparency about what we sell,
so our customers can be empowered to make informed decisions.”