Brazil Fines Nestle For Failing to Label GMOs
Uh oh — looks like Nestle and five other food manufacturers haven’t been living up to their end of the bargain when it comes placing warning labels on their GMO products.
In 2010, Brazil’s Consumer Protection Agency Senacon conducted quite the time-consuming investigation on GMOs, an investigation that discovered these companies were slipping GMOs into cake mixes, snacks and various other products being sold in the country’s supermarkets, without the required warning symbol. Senacon fined the companies as a result.
Senacon accuses the companies of violating Brazilian consumer rights including the right to information, freedom of choice and the right for protection against abusive corporate practices.
The list of companies charged with financial penalties includes Nestle, Pepsico and Bimbo, with fines ranging from US$277,400 to just over US$1 million. In total, the fines amount to an estimated US$3 million.
Various cake mixes, snacks and other products sold in Brazil’s supermarkets have not carried the promised GMO warning label. Click pic to view original photo on flickr.com
Along with Brazil, currently 64 countries require labeling of genetically modified foods, including 28 nations in the European Union, plus Japan, Australia, and China. This investigation makes you wonder how many other products worldwide contain GMOs that aren’t being accounted for, even when GMO labeling is a requirement.
As we heard in GMO Truth podcast #8, ideally the actual labeling of GMO products should be specific and cohesive, if it’s ever even implemented in the United States. But now do we need to be concerned that, even if a labeling law is implemented, will the law actually be followed?
Following the court ruling, Brazilian Institute of Consumer Defense researcher Ana Paula Bortoletto praised the decision for enforcing current legislation, which requires the labeling of GMO products.
“The decision confirms the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to require all products that use genetically modified ingredients to include this information on their labels,” Ana Paula stated Thursday.
Regardless of your take on GMOs, it’s good to see Brazil fine Nestle over failing to label GMOs. Food manufacturers most certainly need to be held accountable for labeling promises unkept.
To read this article in its entirety, visit:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Brazil-Nestle-Fined-for-Concealing-Use-of-GMOs-in-Products-20160107-0041.html
