After participating in a social media campaign to convince consumers about the safety of genetically modified foods, U.S. companies that manufacture GMO products have committed to a multimillion-dollar campaign that argues against adding GMO labels to foods.
“We are not going to sit down for that,” says Cathleen Enright, a campaign spokesperson. “We want people to know how their food is grown. We support a right to know. It is the mechanism that we can’t abide.”
The social media campaign that took place last year included companies such as Monsanto Co. and Dow Chemical among others. They joined forces to create a website called GMO Answers as a way to get consumer support. The companies have agreed to spend millions for several years on this campaign, according to Enright.
These companies still face a lot of opposition. Consumers and lawmakers who believe GMOs are unsafe or harmful to the environment are requesting mandatory labeling for GMO foods in several states, such as Vermont, Oregon and Colorado.
