April 15, 2016 – If you feel like you are navigating your grocery cart down the isle of your local supermarket with unbridled direction–you may have to think again. Even though GMO labeling has not taken hold across the country–it will be if the citizens of Vermont have their way. Not only is Vermont making a mandate that their citizens know what they are purchasing–in doing so–the state is also making it clear that if businesses want to do business in their state, they must also be transparent–they must label their GMO’s. But while we are waiting for the GMO labeling transformation to begin, third party verifiers are stepping in. They are policing the food supply just as Underwriters Laboratory polices electrical devices to place the UL approved safety label on all UL certified products.
So just as UL has come to be known as a third party certifier of electrical goods, the Non-GMO Project is one of those third parties that verifies which foods are non-GMO. In fact, on its own website it boasts that it is “North America’s only third party verification and labeling [program] for non-GMO (genetically modified organism) food and products.” Additionally, the ‘Project’ boasts approximately 35,000 Non-GMO Project Verified products from more than 2,500 brands. According to their website this data represents approximately $16 Billion in annual sales. In fact, just going down the natural foods isle at your local grocer, one can see that the number of ‘Non-GMO Project Verified’ designations is popping up on more food products than ever before. Meeting consumer demand for non-GMO products has tremendous support by those who want to know what they are purchasing and feeding their families. As a result, the ‘Non-GMO’ Project Verified’ label, is now one of the fastest growing labels in the natural food marketplace.
In addition to Non-GMO verified products, one can always look for organics. Like certified ‘Non-GMO’s’, there are ‘Certified Organics’ –which can also provide a healthy choice for those who want to get back to basics. And for those who want to make their home just as pesticide free as their refrigerator, look no further than the Environmental Working Group to help you navigate your way to safe alternative products around your home. Armed with the facts, as well as the law, consumers can make better and more informed choices for themselves and their families.
To learn more about the state that sparked the surge in labeling GMO’s across the nation, visit the Vermont Attorney General’s office for more information on the first GMO labeling law that is taking the nation by surprise. The Vermont law is slated to take effect July 1, 2016. So if you like eating and living healthy–and like the idea of truth in labeling–you now have a really good reason to also like the state of Vermont!