And while supporters of GMO labeling may have lost the battle with last week's 'No' vote on Prop 37, they might ultimately win the war, predicts Anne Brown, senior manager of the food ingredients marketing group at the Scoular Group, the number one identity preserved non-GMO grain supplier in North America.
“I think that in Europe, consumers really drove the trend and the legislation followed, and I think that is what is going to happen in the US.
“Consumers are choosing to have non-GMO food or organic food, or traditional foods [with a GMO label], but they want to have the choice," added Brown, who was speaking to FoodNavigator-USA at the Supply Side West show in Las Vegas.
If manufacturers are seeking out non-GMO soy products, there are several competitively-priced options available, she said.
However, sourcing non-GMO corn-based sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup is more challenging if you don’t want to pay a premium, she added.