On General Mills’ Cheerios Facebook page, thousands of consumers have posted they are boycotting that product because of the company’s support for No on 37 in California. Proposition 37, which proposed labeling all foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMO or GE), failed in a close vote last month. Opponents of the proposal included giant corporations such as Monsanto, General Mills, Bayer, Dupont, and Dow. That group spent more than $45 million, while the group supporting the proposition spent less than $9 million.
Consumers who are opposed to genetically engineered ingredients in the foods they eat have been posting on the Facebook page. The GMO Inside Campaign has been encouraging its members to do so. General Mills did have an app that let users comment on what Cheerios means to them. After that app was used by GMO opponents, General Mills removed it.
Proponents of labeling say that Americans have the right to know what’s in the food they eat and feed their families. GMO foods are controversial. While the American Medical Association has stated they don’t believe foods need to be labeled, they would like to see more long-term studies on the possible effects of the products. And studies examining claims about GMO and GE crops have been mixed, with some stating pesticide use is reduced, and others claiming more pesticides need to be used on those crops.
