DARK Act Vote Shows House Members, Food Companies Oppose Transparency

For Immediate Release
July 23, 2015                        

DARK Act Vote Shows House Members, Food Companies Oppose Transparency

WASHINGTON– House passage of what critics call the DARK Act, for Deny Americans the Right to Know, shows a disregard for Americans’ basic rights, Just Label It said today.  

“We are disappointed but not surprised that the majority of House members have sided with large chemical and food companies to protect corporate interests over the 90 percent of American citizens who simply want the right to know more about their food,” said Gary Hirshberg, chairman of Stonyfield Farm and chairman of Just Label It.

Polls show a vast majority of Americans want to know what’s in their food and how it is grown – the right enjoyed by the citizens of 64 other nations.

“As a long-time food executive, I find it hard to believe that smart companies like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kellogg’s and Campbell’s  are willing to risk their reputations to avoid putting a couple of additional words in their ingredient panels said Hirshberg.  Instead, they continue to fund efforts that are exactly the opposite of what their consumers clearly want. It is clear that the tide of consumer support favors more transparency. Americans will now know how their representatives voted and that their favorite brands are keeping them in the dark.”

Earlier this year, Just Label It launched the “Conceal of Reveal” campaign to hold companies accountable to their decision to keep consumers in the dark. The campaign is calling on Americans to ask popular food brands to stop funding anti-labeling efforts and stand with the overwhelming number of Americans who support mandatory GMO labeling.

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Contact: press@justlabelit.org