Whole Foods agrees to label all GMO foods by 2018 - but why the long wait?

Whole Foods agrees to label all GMO foods by 2018 - but why the long wait?


(NaturalNews) After years of dodging the issue, natural grocery chain
Whole Foods Market has gone public with plans to require the labeling of
all foods sold in its stores that contain genetically-modified
organisms (GMOs). The only problem is that the new labeling requirements
will not come into effect until 2018, which has already generated quite
a bit of controversy as to why this natural and organic leader would
wait an additional five years to act on such a pertinent issue.

According
to an announcement made on the Whole Foods website, the company is a
strong supporter of food labeling transparency, and has been working for
years to voluntarily remove GMOs from its 365 Everyday Value line of
products. Whole Foods has also been vigilant in supporting the Non-GMO
Project, an independent verification system designed to phase out the
use of GMOs in foods.

"Our goal at Whole Foods Market is to
provide informed consumer choice with regard to genetically engineered
ingredients," explains the company on its website. "Accordingly, we have
set a deadline that, by 2018, all products in our U.S. and Canadian
stores must be labeled to indicate whether they contain genetically
modified organisms (GMOs). Whole Foods Market is the first national
grocery chain to set a deadline for full GMO transparency."

This
move by Whole Foods is unprecedented, as it shows just how far we have
come as a society towards achieving real food transparency. It also
shows that we may truly be on the cusp of reaching critical mass
awareness about the presence of GMOs in the food
supply -- millions of Americans now know about GMOs, and many of them
are actively trying to avoid GMOs for the health of their families,
which is good news for everyone.

Phasing out GMOs takes time, claim some

But
why the long wait? Since many of the food products sold at Whole Foods
quietly contain GMOs, the retailer is likely giving its suppliers and
brands more time to completely phase out the use of GMOs before the
deadline so as not to have to label anything by the time 2018
rolls around. What grocer, after all, that claims to sell "nothing
artificial, ever," would willingly emblazon the equivalent of a skull
and crossbones on some of its products?

Similarly, many ingredients used in food products sold at Whole Foods
are still relatively difficult to source organically or from non-GMO
sources, claim some in the industry. The vast majority of the nation's
sugar beets, canola, corn, and soybeans, for instance, are grown using
GM seed stocks. And transitioning GM crop fields to certified-organic
ones in order to meet demand can take many years, argue some, which
makes it difficult for some companies to convert immediately to non-GMO
sources.

On the other hand, many relatively large-scale food
producers like family-owned Nature's Path are already using non-GMO,
certified organic ingredients in their products without issue, so why
can't all the others do the same? It all comes down to priorities, and
many so-called "natural" food suppliers are still hesitant to make the
switch from GMOs until absolutely necessary -- in this case, by 2018 to
meet Whole Foods' new requirements.

Overall, the decision by Whole Foods to require GMO labeling
is a positive one, and it will immediately spur a transition from GMOs
to non-GMOs for many companies who most assuredly do not want to be
identified widely and publicly as using GMOs in their products. It is
all just par for the course in continuing to expose GMOs far and wide
and eventually forcing a complete phase-out of their use through
awareness, and of course support from major players like Whole Foods.

Source:-
http://www.naturalnews.com/039495_Whole_Foods_GMO_labeling_2018.html