January 28, 2014
Story at-a-glance
- Before there was Monsanto, junk food companies were already hard at work influencing American politics to further their own agenda. In fact, the junk food industry has had full control over federal policy for more than six decades
- The Grocery Manufacturer’s Association of America (GMA), which represents the biggest junk food manufacturers in the world, has a detailed plan for combating GMO labeling efforts across the US
- This includes the pursuit of statutory federal preemption—an industry-friendly, soft law that does not include a labeling requirement. This federal solution would trump state rules
- The GMA has sued Washington State for the right to hide corporate campaign funds—a move that threatens the transparency of the state’s elections on every issue
- GMA is also trying to get the FDA to permit GMOs to be labeled “natural”