Candy maker Mars (MARS) is the latest food company to add labeling to its products that alert consumers to the presence of genetically modified organisms.
Mars follows in the footsteps of General Mills (GIS) and Campbell Soup Co. (CPB) as companies scramble to comply with a Vermont law that will go into effect in July—the first in the U.S. to require GMO labeling. Though the law only applies in Vermont, many companies have said that separating products for such a small market would be impossible, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Mars, which makes candies including Snickers, M&Ms, and Wrigley gum, said in a statement that the company will begin GMO labeling in the interest of transparency and complying with Vermont’s law. “We firmly believe GM ingredients are safe,” the company said in a statement. “Food developed through biotechnology has been studied extensively and judged safe by a broad range of regulatory agencies, scientists, health professionals, and other experts around the world.”
But Vermont politicians say that the GMO labeling law doesn’t necessarily have to do with the health risks of GMOs, but with the rights of consumers to know what is in their food and what sort of agricultural system their purchases support.