Following a failed bit to implement labelling of genetically modified organisms in food in California last year, legislators in Connecticut have become the first in the United States to pass a GMO labelling bill.

The struggle over Prop 37 in California (often used as a 'litmus test', where novel laws are trialled) last November, saw a push for GM labelling defeated by three percent of the vote and a cool $46 million spent by large food processing firms and agribusinesses – over 5 times the spend of the pro-labelling campaign, which stood at $9.2 million.

However, although Prop 37 was unsuccessful, it spawned numerous other labelling bills across almost half of the United States. On Monday (3rd June), legislators passed a bill demanding that food manufacturers reveal whether their products contain genetically modified ingredients, making the New England state the US' first to introduce such labelling.

In both the House of Representatives and Senate of the North-Eastern state demonstrated bi-partisan support of the labelling bill. Voting in the House on Monday saw the labelling law passed by a landslide vote of 134-3. Grassroots campaigners at Food Democracy Now said legislators acknowledged widespread popular support for the measure.

However, a catch conciliatory to businesses in Connecticut, who feared labelling laws would impact upon their bottom line, means that the law will not enter into force until at least four other US states, including one bordering Connecticut, introduce similar legislation. This is to protect the comparatively small Connecticut, which alone could not hope to have the impact of a larger, more influential state like California.  

Although the trigger clause remains part of the bill, 'right to know' labelling campaigners said they remain optimistic about the bill, as 24 of the 50 US states are now considering GM labelling. Washington State, where the battle over labelling has become most fierce since California's ill-fated prop 37, will be the next to decide on the issue. Voting there will take place in November.