Whole Foods strikes a blow in favor of consumers

It looks like there has been a turning point in the battle to allow consumers to know whether the foods they buy contain GMO. Food retailer Whole Foods announced on Friday that it would require all products it sells to be labeled for GMO by 2018.

There has been speculation that GMO giant Monsanto might lobby lawmakers to prevent Whole Foods from implementing the policy in a move similar to what Monsanto did in Indiana to restrict “BGH-Free” labeling on milk products in that state.

Why the fight to restrict labeling? Could it be because of potentially harmful side effects to those who eat the products? It wouldn’t be the first time than a food product was linked with health problems.

If concerns over GMO are nothing but hysteria, then labeling would help to dispel the notion that there is anything dangerous about the so-called “frankenfoods.” However, if GMOs are dangerous to consumers long-term, it could result in another mass tort litigation that seemingly would dwarf the lawsuits against big tobacco. But without labeling, how will we know one way or another.

Stay tuned.