Whole Foods Breaks Promise to Label GMOs by 2018
Whole Foods drops promised GMO labeling after suppliers complain
It’s been five years since Whole Foods Market announced it would require all products containing genetically modified organisms sold in its stores to be labeled as such by September 2018.
An email sent to suppliers this week indicates the natural grocery chain, which was recently acquired by Amazon, has no intention of following through on that promise.
Amid supplier complaints about the “confusion” of having to comply with both the USDA’s coming GMO labeling laws and Whole Foods’ more stringent requirements, the retailer said it would pause its plans indefinitely.
“As the USDA finalizes the federal regulation in the coming months and the food industry assesses the impact, we do not want our Policy to pose further challenges for you and your business,” Whole Foods President and Chief Operations Officer A.C. Gallo wrote in the email.
“We remain committed to providing our customers with the level of transparency they want and expect from us,” the company told the New Food Economy, “and will continue to require suppliers to obtain third-party verification for non-GMO claims.”
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