Vermont issues guidance on GM labeling regulations. 

  • Pending the outcome of the ongoing legal challenge to Vermont’s GM labeling law, the law and its implementing regulations are set to take effect on July 1, 2016.
  • On September 23, 2015, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office issued guidance on the state’s interpretation and planned enforcement of the labeling requirements.  Formatted as an annotated version of the regulatory text, the guidance indicates the origin of various definitions and provides illustrative examples of how specific requirements and exemptions may function in practice.  The guidance also provides detailed information regarding the records that will be sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the state’s requirements.
  • Oral argument in the food industry’s challenge to the constitutionality of Vermont’s GM labeling law is scheduled for October 8 before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.  In the meantime, food manufacturers remain stuck between a rock and a hard place — preparing for compliance, while hoping for relief.