Last week we received a response from Coca-Cola about our petition to Coke and Pepsi asking for GMO labeling and/or the removal of GMO ingredients from their products.
We wanted to share Coke's response letter (below), since more than 4,000 of you have already taken action with us, and we wanted to share with you our latest reply to Coke:
Dear Coca-Cola,
While we do appreciate you getting back to us, (truly we do, we have haven't heard a word from Pepsi) we do not agree with your stance on GMOs or your views on labeling.
Coke Says: "California voters made the right decision in defeating Proposition #37, a poorly written measure that would've been costly and caused confusion about the safety of products labeled."
GMO Inside says: Regardless of the "safety" debate, we believe consumers have a right to know what they are putting in their bodies, and therefore have a right to know if the ingredients in their food have been genetically modified. GMOs have never been proven safe for consumption, and a growing body of studies is raising concerns around the health effects of eating them and their negative environmental impacts. (See Earth Open Source's summary on some of the health concerns)
Coke Says: Because we sell our products nationwide, we oppose state-specific regulations which oppose unreasonable burdens on the food and beverage industry.
GMO Inside says: Ingredient labeling is not an unreasonable burden on the food and beverage industry--it's a rule consumers have come to expect of any product they purchase with plans to ingest. But, if you want to play that card, we'd like to point out that labeling GMO ingredients will will create minimal costs and that the Coca-Cola corporation earned no less than $48 billion in revenues last year.
Major food companies change their packaging all the time, for reasons relating to changing ingredients to seasonal promotions. We aren't demanding that this change happen overnight, but that the labeling of GMOs in the ingredient lists on Coke's products be added to the queue for the next run of packaging. GMO labeling has not increased the costs of food in Europe, according to the former European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, and an Emory Study found that GMO labeling would not increase food prices in the US either.
Coca-Cola, you have the opportunity to be a leader amongst major beverage companies by being the first to end your use of GMOs and let the public know you have done so. Please take this important step for human and environmental health!
Sincerely,
GMO Inside
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