Whole Foods Announces Full GMO Labeling by 2018

Whole Foods Market made the following announcement on its website today. It has not yet been promoted by the Whole Foods Market Davis Page. 

Whole Foods in Davis is located at 500 1st St.

Today, we stood up for the consumer’s right to know by announcing that all products in our US and Canadian stores containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must be clearly labeled within five years. We heard our customers loud and clear asking us for GMO labeling and we are responding where we have control: in our own stores.

We are the first national grocery chain to set a deadline for full GMO transparency. By 2018, we will require our supplier partners to label products containing GMO ingredients, and we will work in collaboration with them as they transition to sourcing non-GMO ingredients or to clearly labeling products with ingredients containing GMOs.

The announcement went on to say that Whole Foods expects many suppliers to comply long before the five year deadline has passed. The Whole Foods proprietary line — 365 Everyday Value — is ahead of the curve by avoiding GMOs almost entirely.

Although Prop 37 failed last year in California, which would have mandated GMO labeling across the state, Whole Foods said it is still behind such a law. 

Until the GMO labeling requirement is fully effective, shoppers can rely on Non-GMO Project verified products and certified organic products if they want to avoid GMOs. The US National Organic Standards prohibit the intentional use of GMO seed in the production of organic crops. As a pioneer in the US organic food movement for the past 32 years, we offer thousands of organic products, the largest variety in the country. To ensure a growing supply of non-GMO options for our customers, we are stepping up our support of organic and certified products, and we are growing the non-GMO supply chain with our supplier partners.

We are as excited about this announcement as we are dedicated to supporting transparency and our customers’ right to know what’s in their food.

What do you think of the announcement? Is it a step in the right direction? Tell us in the comments!