US Farm News, Wednesday March 30, 2016

Two-Thirds of Consumers Thinks Food Companies are Transparent

A new study shows two-thirds of consumers say they believe agriculture and food companies are transparent. The study by Sullivan, Higdon and Sink’s Food Think initiative found consumers also want to know more about where their food comes from. The study found consumer perceptions of transparency in the industry are growing as more consumers turn to food companies and grocers for information regarding their food. Researchers found 65 percent of consumers think it is important to know how their food is produced while 60 percent think farmers and ranchers are trustworthy, making them one of the most trusted sources for information on food production. The research was conducted earlier this year from the responses from more than 2,000 U.S. consumers.

States Gaining Interest in GMO Labeling Laws

As food companies are preparing to comply with the Vermont GMO labeling law, many other states are now considering their own GMO labeling laws. Politico reports Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are looking to implement their own GMO labeling statutes. Those bills largely mirror the Vermont law. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Maine passed a bill through the state’s House of Representatives that would ask voters to repeal a trigger clause in the state’s GMO labeling law, allowing the measure to go into effect. Legislators in Tennessee, Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Oregon have also considered labeling laws this spring. Lawmakers in Alaska and Mississippi have considered restrictions on the sale and cultivation of GMO salmon. On the other side of the GMO battle, Kansas, Missouri and Wyoming lawmakers have looked at resolutions that would urge the U.S. Congress to block labeling.

NAFB News