(WA) Grocery Manufacturers put in $3.78M more to defeat I-522's labels on GMO foods

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/10/26/2857829/grocery-manufacturers-put-in-378m.html

Grocery Manufacturers put in $3.78M more to defeat I-522's labels on GMO foods
Published: October 26, 2013 Updated 9 hours ago
By Brad Shannon — Olympian

Money keeps rolling into the food and agribusiness campaign-funded committee to defeat Initiative 522 and its mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods and seed stocks. Washington voters have had mail-in ballots for more than a week for the Nov. 5 election.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association contributed $3.78 million since Thursday to the No on 522 committee, bringing the total contribution by the processed-food industry PAC's members to more than $11 million - or more than half of the record $21.46 million raised by the opponents. DuPont Pioneer, a biotech firm producing genetically engineered seeds, gave another $400,000 on Friday.

Initiative 522 requires labels on genetically engineered seeds and processed foods that are made using genetically modified organisms or genetically engineered ingredients. Backers of I-522 include organic food and consumer groups that have raised more than $6.1 million for the Yes on 522 committee, which is one of several PACs that has raised money on the proponents' side.

The single biggest company giving to either side is Monsanto, the chemical firm that sells herbicides and genetically engineered seed stock, which gave more than $5 million to the opposition, according to a recent campaign-finance analysis by MapLight, the nonpartisan group that tracks money in campaigns (it does not include the latest money from GMA). MapLight shows about $9.1 million total raised by committees in favor of I-522.