Food firms score victory in labelling case

Grocery Manufacturers of AmericaSome of the leading food companies in the US have declared victory in the Washington State case involving labelling of some foods that contain biotech ingredients but campaigners are hopeful that the remaining votes might still change the tide.

An initiative was launched to force companies to start labelling foods that contain biotech ingredients in the state of Washington. Even as the hundreds of thousands are yet to be counter, it appears that the resident of the state have not accepted the initiative requiring mandatory labelling of genetically engineered products. Estimates showed that 55 per cent voting against the initiative and 45 per cent for it.

The Washington secretary of state has not declared the results of the vote as 300,000 mail-in ballots are yet to be counted. Firms are confident that the remaining votes will not affect the outcome of the voting. Genetically engineered ingredients are found in more than 70 per cent of the products sold in the stores across the market and firms are aiming to ban mandatory labelling across the nation.

The Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) organised a campaign by collecting and spending $7.2 million against ballot initiative 522 but did not reveal the individual donors paying to the organization, according to State Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The initiative will be considered during the month of November.