Dive Brief:
- A group of celebrity moms appear in a new video in conjunction with the Just Label It campaign, which advocates for GMO food labeling. Today, mother-daughter actors Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow will visit Capitol Hill to discuss their concerns about what's in food.
- The video encourages viewers to sign the campaign's "Conceal or Reveal" petition, which asks major food and beverage companies to be more forthcoming about GMO ingredients.
- The celebrity moms include Sarah Michelle Gellar, The Talk's Sara Gilbert, UnREAL's Constance Zimmer, Once Upon a Time's Ginnifer Goodwin, Furious 7's Jordana Brewster, and The Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels.
Dive Insight:
Advocates for labeling were ramping up efforts even before the House passed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling bill, which would prevent state-mandated GMO labeling. Part of the reason that bill was passed was because food companies harbored concerns that the GMO label would be seen as a warning and could unfairly hurt their sales. A recent study says consumers would not be put off by GMO labels. Just last month Musician Neil Young donated to Vermont's labeling law fund.
Celebrity endorsement has long been a tool for the food and beverage industries to influence consumer opinion. Just last month musician Neil Young donated to Vermont's labeling law fund. Featuring celebrity moms in the "Conceal or Reveal" video appeals to the general population of mothers and caregivers and encourages them to follow the celebrities' advice and sign the petition.