The 2018 Non-GMO Sourcebook

NON-GMO MARKET NEWS

Should non-GMO also mean non- GMO fed? Are companies that label dairy products “non- GMO” but don’t source milk from cows raised on non-GMO feed misleading consumers? B Y K E N R O S E B O R O A growing number of yogurt and ice cream brands, including Chobani, Yoplait, Breyer’s, Nestlé, and Ben & Jerry’s, are la- beling their products as containing “Non- GMO Ingredients” or “No GMO Ingredients” even though the milk used to produce the products comes from cows not fed non-GMO feed.

Is Breyer’s misleading consumers with its non- GMO labeled ice creams?

GMO Project has established that a non-GMO claim means using non-GMO ingredients, including animal feed. If a com- pany is going to make a non- GMO claim for animal derivatives, at its core should be the use of non-GMO feed.” In Europe, mandatory GMO labeling laws do not extend to meat, dairy, and egg products, so a growing number of EU nations have established national “non- GMO fed” labeling pro- grams for animal products derived from non-GMO feed.

Risks of non-GMO la- beling Jorgensen says there are risks in using a non-GMO claim that is not third-party veri- fied. “When you don’t have a third party insulating you from liability, then you have to have a pretty robust internal audit system to back up your claim.” Otherwise, companies could face legal action. “There are teams of lawyers scrutinizing labels and looking for lawsuits opportunities. You really have to feel secure about claims you’re making,” Jor- gensen says.

Are consumers being misled because the main ingredient in the products—milk—is not non-GMO? Should non- GMO labels just apply to in- gredients used to make a food product or should they extend to the feed given to cows that produce the milk? Some industry experts say non-GMO should also mean non-GMO fed. “It’s obviously been a gap in understanding on the part of the industry,” says Carl Jor- gensen, director of Global Thought Leadership-Well- ness at Daymon Worldwide,

a leader in building retail food brands. “As more con- sumers become more aware of the GMO feed issue, it’s going to become harder to make a non-GMO claim if the animals haven’t been fed non-GMO feed.” Sandy Kepler, president of Non-GMO Global, which provides consulting on non- GMO certification, says the Non-GMO Project has set a precedent for labeling foods non-GMO and requires the use of animal feed for verifi- cation. “In this country, the Non-

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