Californians could vote this October to mandate GMO food labeling.

It's official. California now has the power to vote for a landmark labeling law that would allow supermarket shoppers to know if what they're buying contains untested, potentially dangerous genetically engineered ingredients.

The Golden State's Secretary of State office announced this week that the Right to Know campaign's initiative collected enough signatures for the GMO labeling question to appear on the ballot. If passed, the law would require that any food containing genetically engineered material be labeled. "We're thrilled that Californians will have the opportunity this November to vote for the right to know what’s in our food," says Stacy Malkan, a spokesperson for the California Right to Know campaign. "This initiative is pretty simple. It's about our fundamental right to make informed choices about the food we eat and feed our families."

GMO ingredients are created through a process that takes genes from other plants, animals, viruses, or bacteria and injects them into another species. This process does not occur naturally in the environment and has never been tested for long-term impact on human health. Beyond that, many GMO crops have led to sharp increases in pesticide use. That's ironic, since GMOs were supposed to reduce chemical exposures when they were introduced onto the market.

If polls are any indication, the labeling requirement has a great shot at passing. In both California and the U.S. as a whole, 90 percent of voters support GMO labeling. It's not just popular among consumers, either. Sustainable farming groups, health experts, and many businesses support the right to know.

"As a doctor committed to the health of people and the environment, I strongly believe that people have a right to know, and to choose for themselves, whether to eat foods that have been genetically engineered," says Robert Gould, MD, president of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility.

If passed in California, a ripple effect could be seen all over the country, since food manufacturers may not want to create separate products for California versus the rest of the country.

"All eyes are on California, and the voters of this state will support our right to know what's in our food when they vote this November," says Malkan.

The GMO Backstory
The chemical companies that created genetically engineered seeds haven't kept their promises. Once hailed as a solution to reduce pesticide use, genetically engineered seeds, also called genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, now require that nonorganic farmers spray chemicals on food crops more than ever. "Safe" and "biodegradable" agricultural chemicals have been linked to infertility, obesity, and all sorts of health problems.

Designed to reduce weed problems, GMOs have actually created a superweed crisis. Because overuse of pesticides has led to hard-to-kill weeds, a new wave of GMOs reliant on extremely volatile and toxic pesticides is expected to flood the market within the next two years.

Earlier this year, more than 1 million people petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to not ban GMOs, but rather, require labeling on foods that contain GMO ingredients. The FDA says it needs more time, so in the meantime, California is taking matters into its own hands.

With a spot on the November ballot, advocates of GMO labeling are now gearing up for a massive smear campaign by the chemical and biotech industry.

California isn't the only state trying to require labeling of GMO-containing foods. A GMO labeling bill in Connecticut has garnered bipartisan support and is moving through legislative committees. Several other states are also trying to require labeling.

Until labeling is required, shop for organic or Non-GMO Verified foods to avoid GMOs.