Labeling Opponents

Who are the companies fighting our right to know?

Transparency is our right. Yet a handful of companies, such as Monsanto, Kraft, Kellogg’s and General Mills, have gotten away with hiding important information about our food for nearly two decades.

In November of 2012, some of America’s biggest and most profitable chemical companies teamed up with a handful of large food companies to spend more than $45 million in an advertising blitz to stop Prop 37, an initiative to require labeling of genetically modified foods. In 2013, the same companies raised millions to try to defeat a similar initiative in Washington state. In 2014, they were pouring money into anti-GMO labeling ballot campaigns in both Oregon and Colorado.

For these companies, a defeat of labeling supports their interests, not the consumers. The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) – Big Food’s national lobby group –called defeating Prop 37 “the single highest priority for GMA” in 2012, and has poured millions into defeating Washington state’s initiative. While claiming their products are safe and that biotechnology is beneficial, they are emptying their pockets to fight a simple label. What is there to hide?

Polling shows overwhelming public support for labeling of genetically modified foods, yet the same food and chemical companies continue to ignore consumers fight our right to know every chance they get.

This will continue to be a David vs. Goliath battle, an unequal fight between the American consumer and corporate money. It’s time to call out these companies, and demand that support the consumer’s right to transparency.

Full List of Right To Know Opponents
No. Donor No On 37 No on 522 No on 92 No on 105
1 Monsanto Co. $8,112,867 $5,374,411 $5,958,750 $4,755,878
2 Dupont $5,400,000 $3,880,159 $4,928,150 $3,000,000
3 PepsiCo $2,485,400 $2,352,966 $2,350,000 $1,650,000
4 Grocery Manufacturers Association $2,002,000 $11,000,000** $169,190 $106,600
5 Kraft Foods $2,000,500 - $870,000 $1,030,000
6 BASF Plant Science $2,000,000 $500,000 - -
7 Bayer CropScience $2,000,000 $591,654 - -
8 DOW Agrosciences $2,000,000 $591,654 $1,157,150 $306,500
9 Syngenta Corporation $2,000,000 - - -
10 Coca-Cola North America $1,690,500 $1,520,351 $1,170,000 $1,108,000
11 Nestle USA $1,461,600 $1,528,206 - -
12 General Mills $1,230,300 $869,271 $695,000 $820,000
13 ConAgra Foods $1,176,700 $828,251 $350,000 $250,000
14 Kellogg's Company $790,700 $322,050 $500,000 250,000
15 Smithfield Foods $683,900 - - $250,000
16 Delmonte Foods $674,100 $125,677 - -
17 Campbell Soup Company $598,000 $384,888 - -
18 Smucker Company $555,000 $349,978 $295,000 $345,000
19 Hershey Company $518,900 $360,450 $320,000 $380,000
20 Biotechnology Industry Organization $502,000 - 11,200 $108,000
21 Heinz Company $500,000 - - -
22 Mars Inc. $498,350 - - -
23 Hormel Foods $467,900 $76,803 $85,000 85,000
24 Unilever $467,100 - - -
25 Bimbo Bakeries $422,900 $137,460 $230,000 270,000
26 Bumble Bee Foods $420,600 $52,365 $45,000 $50,000
27 Ocean Spray Cranberries $409,100 $80,295 $35,000 80,000
28 Council for Biotechnology Information $375,000 - $12,827 -
29 Sara Lee Corporation $343,600 - - -
30 Abbott Nutrition $334,500 $185,025 $160,000 $190,000
31 Pinnacle Foods Group $266,100 $175,425 - -
32 Dean Foods $253,950 $174,553 - -
33 Cargill $250,000 $143,133 $111,000 $135,000
34 Bunge North America $248,600 $137,896 - -
35 Rich Products Corporation $248,300 $34,911 $30,000 -
36 McCormick & Company $248,200 $148,369 $130,000 -
37 Flowers Foods $182,100 $205,099 - $250,000
38 Mondelez International $181,000 $210,336 $720,000 -
39 Dole Packaged Foods $175,000 - - -
40 Knouse Foods $167,600 $20,946 $20,000 $25,000
41 Welch Foods $167,000 $41,893 $30,000 $35,000
42 Land O'Lakes $153,300 $144,878 $760,000 $900,000
43 Sunny Delight Beverages $139,700 $30,547 $25,000 $25,000
44 Wrigley Jr. Company $123,350 - - -
45 Tree Top Inc. $110,600 - - -
46 Clement Pappas & Co. $100,000 $30,547 - -
47 Hilshire Brands Company $85,900 $282,775 - -
48 Hero North America $80,800 - - -
49 Mead Johnson Nutrition Company $80,000 - $50,000 $50,000
50 Faribault Foods $76,000 - - -
51 Solae Inc. $62,500 - - -
52 Goya Foods $56,700 - - -
53 McCain Foods USA $53,400 - - -
54 Godiva Chocolatier $42,700 - - -
55 B&G Foods $40,000 - - -
56 Clorox Company $39,700 $17,455 - -
57 Bruce Foods $38,500 $4,364 - -
58 C.H. Guenther & Son $24,700 - - -
59 Morton Salt $21,400 - - -
60 Reily Foods Company $18,400 - - -
61 Inventure Foods $15,600 - - -
62 Hirzel Canning Company $15,000 - - -
63 Idahoan Foods $10,000 - - -
64 Sargento Foods $10,000 - - -
65 Snack Foods Association $10,000 - - -
66 Shearer's Foods - $36,656 $30,000 $35,000
67 Niagara Bottling - - - $10,000
68 Michael Foods - - $30,000 -

**GMA member donations included in list




Learn more

Just Label It Blogs

Only organic guarantees that your food has been produced without toxic persistent pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones or genetically engineered seeds. Organic is the REAL natural

- - - - -
Close

Share this page

Share on Social Media Share on Social Media Share on Social Media Share on Social Media Share on Social Media

Email Sign up