Just Label It Responds to GMA’s Statement on GE Labeling

Contact: Violet Batcha
(315) 262-5990, violet@justlabelit.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 7, 2014 

Washington, D.C. – Gary Hirshberg, Chairman of Just Label It, issued the followed statement in response to a statement made on Wednesday by the Grocery Manufacturers Association:

“No one has done more to mislead consumers than the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and no organization has done more to deny consumers the right to know what’s in their food and how their foods are  grown.  For GMA to argue that mandatory GE labeling would “misinform and mislead” consumers is the height of hypocrisy.

As the founder and chairman of Stonyfield Farm, I am shocked that responsible corporate leaders would allow their trade association to make such baseless claims, and I call on my colleagues in the food industry to declare their support for a national mandatory GE disclosure system and to clearly state their objections to legislation introduced by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS).

Contrary to GMA’s plainly false summary, the Deny Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act would not “eliminate uncertainty” but would instead fuel even greater consumer confusion by codifying a broken and ineffective “voluntary” system and make it more difficult for FDA to craft the national solution supported by more than 400 responsible food businesses. The DARK Act would not create “a national framework” for food labeling, as GMA contends. In fact, the DARK Act would make such a system far more difficult to implement.”

“I am deeply disappointed but not surprised that the GMA would continue to perpetuate such falsehoods. I urge Congress to reject the DARK Act and encourage responsible corporate leaders to work with the Just Label It campaign to craft a consumer-friendly national mandatory labeling system.”

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