Vermont Begins First Major Test of GMO Labels Today

Starting Friday, most foods made in Vermont with genetically modified organisms must be labeled to indicate that—the first state to legally require it. Food Safety News provides a quick Q&A on what the law is, which food items are covered by it (pretty much most packaged foods in the US, along with whole produce), how the labels will read, and what happens if retailers don't comply. Some of the buzz surrounding the new GMO law:

• There's still plenty of uncertainty swirling around the GMO labeling requirement, per the AP, which notes Congress could as soon as next week move forward on a bill that would upend the Vermont law.

• Here's what implication such a national law could have if put into place, per Public News Service.
• The Burlington Free Press reports on retailer confusion and concern about the labeling mandate, including manufacturers who are temporarily asking retailers to handle the labeling and worries about certain vendors who may pull their products out of the state.
• And it looks like one of the world's biggest brands may be one of those vendors. Coca-Cola says it may "temporarily" pull some products off of Vermont shelves, Fox News reports.
• One person who's been fighting against the federal GMO bill: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who believes a defunding of Planned Parenthood may somehow be caught up in all of this, per Politico.
• The Hill notes that the FDA also apparently has issues with the proposed federal mandate.

Chipotle went GMO-free last year. (More GMO stories.)