Whole Foods to require GMO labels on foods

April 09, 2013

A grocery chain with outlets in Arizona says it will start requiring the labeling of genetically modified foods in its stores.

Whole Foods is the first major retailer in the country to announce the change, but it won’t take effect until 2018. The decision is based on customer demand, according to Whole Foods’ executive global grocer coordinator Errol Schweizer, who says the company is just trying to be transparent.

"We’re not making a value judgment and we’re not interpreting the science one way or the other. We’re just saying the customer has the right to make an informed choice on what they are feeding themselves or their family," Schweizer said.

Whole Foods already sells more than 3,300 products that are verified as non-GMO. The FDA has deemed GMO products as safe, but many European countries already require labeling of genetically modified foods. There are seven Whole Foods stores in Arizona.