General Mills says it will stop using ingredients from
genetically-modified corn hybrids to produce its Original Cheerios breakfast
cereal.
The policy will not apply to other varieties of Cheerios. Some
of them, such as Multi Grain Cheerios, use more substantial quantities of corn.
Oats is the main ingredient in Original Cheerios and there
are no GMO oat varieties on the North American market. The corn content has
come from cornstarch and a sweetener.
General Mills sent out conflicting messages about its
decision.
It says it was “never about pressure from critics,” but Tom
Forsythe, vice-president of global communications, said “we did it because we
think consumers will embrace it.”
This is a development that bears close attention because, depending on sales performance, a lot of other food processors may announce they're also going GMO-free.
As with the ban on pork raised on farms that use gestation stalls, this could become a processor-driven change in the marketplace that will have a profound impact on farmers.
