![]() Citing the Center For Food Safety, the complaint pointed to “wide-ranging controversies” (p 5) surrounding the health risks and environmental effects of GE crops. The plaintiff offered no evidence in support of these claims. Many consumers want to avoid GMOs for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) health risks associated with ingesting foods derived from genetically modified (“GM”) crops (2) concerns of the ingestion of pesticides and other toxins (3) interest in promoting sustainable living and local farming and (4) negative environmental effects associated with growing GM crops. The plaintiff's complaint laid out the following justifications for the lawsuit: Plaintiff credits the widespread use of the Non GMO Project label and the educational outreach efforts of the organization with aligning consumer expectations with the Non GMO Project Standard.Īs we'll see, the allegations are scientifically dubious, but they illustrate our point: companies that ignore science for the sake of marketing can end up facing unnecessary trouble of their own making. The lawsuit alleges that Non GMO and similar claims (e.g., GMO free) are understood by consumers in a manner consistent with the definitions set forth by the Non GMO Project, a non-profit organization that offers a “Non GMO Project” certification which requires that the certified foods contain no genetically modified processes or inputs (e.g., animal food products derived from animals fed genetically engineered feed). The law firm Keller Heckmen summed up the case in a recent blog post: Such labeling schemes are therefore nothing more than marketing gimmicks, and they can backfire on the companies that employ them.Ĭase in point: a class-action lawsuit recently filed against baby food maker Gerber alleged that the company is “cheating” its customers by selling non-GMO products that, in fact, contain GE ingredients or are derived from GE crops or animals that eat them. There's no scientific justification for their existence, since products made from genetically engineered (GE) ingredients do not pose a risk to consumers. ![]() A few things can be said with certainty about “non-GMO” food labels. ![]()
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