Efforts are being made to overturn Vermont’s GMO labeling law

Aug 11, 2014

A battle between lawmakers and food manufactures in the state of Vermont is brewing over the mandatory use of labels on genetically modified food.

In May, the Vermont Legislature passed a bill requiring labels on food products containing genetically modified ingredients, which prompted legal action by the Grocery Manufactures Association, the Snack Food Association, the International Dairy Foods Association, and the National Association of Manufactures.

The coalition of food manufactures and trade associations are suing the state because of the GMO food labeling initiative, which is expected to become law come July 2016. State lawmakers say that they had anticipated a possible legal challenge and set aside $1.5 million in the GMO labeling bill to cover the cost of litigation.

But before it heads to court, the state’s attorney general put in a request to the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont to dismiss the lawsuit. According to court documents filed on August 8, the state argues “while the Plaintiffs prefer not to disclose that their products are made with genetic engineering, over 90 percent of the general public supports labeling genetically engineered foods.”

The food industry groups who had originally initiated the lawsuit will have 30 days to respond to the attorney general, William Sorrell’s, motion to dismiss. During this process the state will also have the opportunity to respond before the court makes its final decision. As part of the motion, Sorrell asked for oral arguments to be heard on the motion, which will delay legal action for at least another several months.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.