Vermont legislators passed a bill into law on Wednesday that will make food manufacturers throughout the state label all genetically modified organism products, or GMOs.
The Vermont House of Representatives favored the state senate's bill 114 to 30 this week, which will now go to the state's Gov. Peter Shumlin for approval before being instituted in July 2016, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for the Biotechnology Industry Organization said farmers, food makers, distributors, and grocers will have to fork out more money to maintain logs and abide by certain compliance regulations.
"Chances are that product is going to be higher priced than a consumer would see in another part of the country," representative Karen Batra said.
One co-owner of Valley Café in Bellows Falls Vt., favored the law prior to its passing.
"People need to be aware of all the choices that they're making," Andrew Pelletier told The Journal.
The West Coast director of the Center for Food Safety told The Journal that farmers shouldn't have a problem adapting to the legislation under the two year window.
"There is no reason this would put a real burden on farmers, food makers or consumers," Rebecca Spector told The Journal.
Spector also said she wouldn't be surprised if the bill, which provides state compensation for expenses or liabilities during the law's gradual implementation, which is subject to criticism from the food world.
"We would not be surprised to see litigation, since this is the first state to enact a labeling law," Spector said.
The money is expected to come from up to $1.5 million in settlement money obtained by Vermont's attorney general. All factors lean toward the figure actually retrieved and given, according to the legislation The Journal reported.
Sixty-two GMO-labeling laws are in the negotiation phase in 23 states, all of which could follow Vermont's lead and pass themselves.
According to The Journal, the Vermont law pertains to packaged food available for purchase in retail locations throughout the state, which have products containing GMO's. Meat and dairy products from living species who take in feed containing GMO's are not affected.
