Vermont has become the first U.S. state to mandate labeling of foods made with genetically modified organisms. The law is expected to be challenged in court by some food and agriculture companies.
The law, set to take effect July 1, 2016, would for the first time align at least a small part of the United States with more than 60 other countries that require labeling of genetically engineered foods. It sets the stage for more than two dozen other states that are considering mandatory labeling of such GMO foods.
The food and agriculture industries say that GMO foods are proven safe and that labels will imply they are unsafe, confuse consumers and increase costs.