In a stunning victory against the USDA’s sneaky approach to the labeling of genetically modified foods, a U.S. district court in California has ruled that labeling such foods with a QR code is “unlawful,” and additional disclosure options must be added.
The case, filed by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) in 2020, was preceded by a two-decade effort by CFS to achieve labeling in the United States that clearly informs consumers as to the presence of genetically modified foods and ingredients – something already required in over 60 countries around the world.
The QR code, which must be read with a device (such as a smartphone) was the culmination of years of devious proposals on how to best confuse shoppers as to the presence of GMO’s in the supermarket. In 2018 the USDA attempted to push a smiley face icon or one with the letters “BE” coming out of the sun.
Alan Lewis, VP of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs for Natural Grocers, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit calls the victory a “win for the American family” who can now “make fully informed shopping decisions” without using “detective work to understand what food labels are hiding.”
For more on the case and decision, read this article at Moms Across America, a true grassroots organization that has been in the forefront of fighting for meaningful labeling laws. Moms Founder Zen Honeycutt says this about the court ruling: “Holy Mackerel and HALLELUYAH!”