Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/541817
Page 10 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysHealthAndNutrition.com 2015 shows us that tides are changing and food companies are finally realizing it is time to meet consumer demands around health and sustainability by providing non-GMO products. You may remember that Hershey's announced it is transitioning to non-GMO sugar, Nestle is removing artificial flavors and colors from chocolate products, and Hellmann's just announced it is releasing non-GMO mayonnaise dressing made with olive oil. is is a huge first step for the company. Almost a year ago, GMO Inside started a campaign to push Hellmann's to transition its mayonnaise to non-GMO. e campaign started with the release of a mayonnaise scorecard where Hellmann's got an "F" for using GMOs and found it seriously lacking compared to competitors. e scorecard was hugely popular on Facebook with consumers calling on Hellmann's to drop the GMOs. e good news is that Unilever/Hellmann's is listening. Transitioning away from GMOs in one of its flagship products is a great step in the right direction, and it is all thanks to the continued efforts of GMO Insiders! Here at GMO Inside we applaud Hellmann's efforts. is is an important step in creating a better food system. Even consumers who don't eat mayonnaise can celebrate this victory. Unilever is a major company with huge purchasing power and it has the ability to create a shi in the supply chain, which helps more farmers make the move to non-GMO. It is wonderful to see that they are starting with a product that is so oen a part of school lunches, family picnics, and summer barbeques. Genetically engineered (GE) crops are allowed on the market with insufficient oversight — and too much emphasis on what works for corporations like Monsanto instead of what is best for people and planet. But right now, we have an opportunity to push for better national policies. e US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in March that it was abandoning its 2008 proposal that would have updated the 1990s era-regulations currently governing GE crops. USDA is starting from scratch and opened up the process for a public comment period to begin the process of craing new regulations for GE crops. Tell USDA to weigh the full impact of GE crops! If we want to build a truly sustainable food system, we must reduce the use of GE crops and pesticides and support Tell the USDA to Close the Loopholes for GE Crops farmers using organic, sustainable practices. It's time for the USDA to start moving us in that direction and assessing the real, on-the-ground impacts of GE crop production systems.