General Mills shareholders have shot down a proposal that would have forced the company to remove genetically modified organisms from its products. During the company’s annual shareholders meeting Tuesday, A tally of the preliminary vote at the meeting showed more than 97 percent of General Mills shareholders voted against the proposal. The National Center for Public Policy Research had urged shareholders to reject the resolution. The Centers Justin Danhof stated after the vote it “shows that fact-based scientific consensus can trump emotional appeals that are not tethered to science or reason.” The proposal submitted by a descendant of one of the General Mills founders, Harriet Crosby, hadclaimed that “we are killing ourselves” with GMOs. General Mills CEO Ken Powell said the company stands by the overwhelming research and studies that show GMOs are safe, and also touted the environmental and humanitarian benefits which they hold. He also said that he would support a consistent federal labeling notation for non-GMO foods, so consumers who want those specific items can easily identify them.
The resolution called for the company to “adopt a policy of removing genetically engineered crops, organisms, or ingredients from products sold or manufactured by the company,” and supported that request by claiming that “genetic engineering involves significant risks to the environment, food security, and public health.” The vote marked the third occasion this year in which a company had sided with the National Center. Monsanto shareholders defeated a GMO labeling proposal in January. In July, Safeway investors voted down a proposal that called for the grocery giant to label its foods containing GMOs.
Source: NAFB News Service