Company Behind Twix, Snickers, And M&M's Joins General Mills In Decision To Label GMOs Across All 50 States

Just days after General Mills announced that it would begin labeling its GMO ingredients nationwide, preempting legislation expected to follow Vermont's mandatory GMO labeling law, another major brand has voluntarily decided to extend its labeling efforts across the country.

In July, Mars and other companies will be required by law to label all genetically modified ingredients on food products sold in the state of Vermont. Mars is the maker of dozens of popular food brands including Dove chocolate, M&M's, 3 Musketeers, Twix, Snickers, Starburst, Juicy Fruit, Altoids, Uncle Ben's, and others.

At the moment, the United States does not have a national policy regarding GMO labeling, but earlier this month, the U.S. Senate struck down a controversial proposal to leave the labeling decision up to individual states.

In order to comply with Vermont's labeling law, the company will introduce "clear, on-pack labeling on our products that contain GM ingredients nationwide," identifying genetically modified ingredients across all 50 states.

In a press release, Mars stated that although "we firmly believe GM ingredients are safe," the company would not ignore a growing consumer interest in transparency within food production.

"Because we depend on our consumers for our success, we seek to understand their needs," Mars said. "At Mars, we not only ensure the safety of all raw materials in our products, we're also committed to being transparent with our consumers so they can understand what's in the products they love."