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Major Food Companies Are Spending Millions to Keep GMOs Hidden from Consumers

There is a battle brewing in California that every American needs to know about.

Even if you don’t live in that state, it doesn’t matter at all. It still impacts every single one of us.

The voting that will take place on the California ballot in November is called Proposition 37. This measure, which will be voted on by the state’s citizens, would require that foods containing genetically-modified ingredients be labeled as such.

And if approved, the implications will be enormous. Other states will be more willing to pass a similar measure and will be less afraid of potential lawsuits from Monsanto et al.

Right now, President Obama and the USDA do not believe that citizens have the right to know if they are eating genetically-modified foods (GMOs) or not. Why?

Under pressure from the chemical and biotech industries, their position has been that GMOs are the same thing as non-GMOs.

This policy is a complete sham since the U.S. Patent Office gives patents to GMOs, and you only get a patent on something if it is unique and different.

Making matters worse is that polls show that 90% of Americans want GMOs labeled.

Fed up with the federal government’s pandering to the chemical and biotech industries, a group of California citizens garnered enough signatures this past spring to get on the ballot for November.

As expected, GMO companies have made defeating Proposition 37 their number one priority and have donated millions to launch a massive PR campaign against it.

Based on what I have been reading, they have raised $25 million so far. And they’re just getting started.

THE OPPOSITION AND THEIR FOOD PRODUCTS

Which consumer food companies are part of the opposition?

Taken from the California Secretary of State website, the corporations below have made financial contributions to defeat Proposition 37. In doing so, they are making a statement that people do not have the right to know if they are consuming GMOs or not.

PepsiCo – (Pepsi, Quaker Oats, Tropicana, Frito-Lay, Tostitos, Gatorade, Naked Juice)

Nestle – (Nestle, Gerber, Perrier, Poland Spring, Pellegrino, Nescafe, Nestea, Dreyer’s, Alpo, Purina, PowerBar, Jenny Craig)

Hershey Company – (Hershey’s Chocolate, Kit-Kat, Almond Joy, Twizzlers, Reese’s, Dagoba)

Dean Foods – (Horizon Organic, Silk, Land O’Lakes, Garelick Farms, Meadow Farms, Dean’s)

Mars – (Mars, M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way, Uncle Ben’s, Doublemint, Skittles, Starburst, Seeds of Change, Alterra Coffee, Pedigree)

Coca-Cola North America – (Coke, Diet Coke, Minute Maid, Odwalla, Honest Tea, Dasani, Vitamin Water)

Rich Products Corporation – (SeaPak, Byron’s, FarmRich)

Ocean Spray Cranberries – (Ocean Spray juices and dried fruit)

Kellogg’s – (Kellogg’s products, Kashi, Bear Naked, Gardenburger, Morningstar Farm)

General Mills – (Cheerios, Wheaties, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, Lara Bar, Liberte, Yoplait, Nature Valley)

Dole – (Dole, Dole Organic)

Pinnacle Foods Group – (Aunt Jemima, Duncan Hines, Hungry Man, Van de Kamps, Vlasic)

Del Monte – (Del Monte Products, Wolfgang Puck organic soups)

Campbell Soup – (Campbell’s, Swanson, V8, Prego)

Morton Salt

McCormick & Company

Inventure Foods – (Jamba Smoothies, Burger King Fries, T.G.I.Fridays Potato Skins – each one is a licensee)

Sunny Delight – (SunnyD)

Sara Lee – (Sara Lee, Hillshire Farms, Jimmy Dean, State Fair)

McCain Foods – (Anchor, Farmer’s Kitchen, Redstone Canyon)

Land O’ Lakes

J.M. Smucker Company – (Smucker’s products, Santa Cruz Organic, R.W. Knudsen)

Hormel Foods – (Hormel, Herdez, Spam, Valley Fresh)

Godiva Chocolate

Bumble Bee Foods – (Bumble Bee, King Oscar, Beach Cliff)

Bimbo Bakeries – (Arnold, Bimbo, Ball Park, Entenmann’s, Earthgrains)

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A few things.

1) When you buy the brands above, you are supporting companies who don’t want GMOs to be labeled.

2) For organic consumers, we are now faced with the dilemma of whether should continue to buy the organic brands listed above.

Do we continue to support these brands and enrich their pro-GMO parent companies? Or, do we boycott these brands?

Personally, I am done buying these organic brands.  And so is my friend and fellow organic food blogger FoodBabe.

3) American consumers have a fundamental right to know what is in their food, and this means that GMOs must be labeled.

The California ballot initiative is incredibly important, and we’re up against an opposition with very, very deep pockets.

Please consider making a financial contribution to get Proposition 37 passed. To do so, please visit CARightToKnow.

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