Food sold with genetically modified ingredients in Vermont must now carry a label as a landmark state law finally goes into effect.
The law, the first of its kind in the country, has been in the crosshairs of a campaign in Congress to preempt the measure with federal regulations.
The U.S. House already passed a bill that would establish national labeling standards. A sister bill in the Senate has been bogged down in debate for months.
In the Works
Ranking agriculture committee members reportedly reached a compromise last week, but the measure did not come up for a vote before Vermont's law went into effect.
The Senate plans to vote next week to limit further debate on the federal bill.
The current version would give companies three options for providing GMO information to consumers, including labels on packages, electronic labels, or a symbol to be designed by the US Agriculture Department.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has vowed to block any federal attempt to preempt the state law.
Buying Time
Vermont's Attorney General says GMO products manufactured before today can still be sold without labels until the end of this year.
Coca Cola has announced it would temporarily pull some of its products off of shelves in Vermont as it gets ready to slap new labels on products.
ConAgra, Kellogg, General Mills, Mars and Campbell's Soup are already labeling genetically modified ingredients at the national level.