With just six days left until Washington state voters decide on I-522, the ballot initiative to label genetically modified organisms (GMOs), money for the opposition continues to pour in. According to the state's Public Disclosure Commission, the No on 522 campaign received an influx of $4.2 million last week from just two sources: The Grocery Manufacturer's Association (GMA) and Dupont Pioneer, the seed and agri-chemical company.
This brings the current "No on 522" campaign war chest total to $21.9 million, the most well-endowed single-issue campaign in state history.
Dupont's latest contribution is $460,000, bringing its donor monies to $3.87 million, just under the $5.3 million from Monsanto. But the generosity of the seed and chemical world pales in comparison to that of GMA, which ponied up an additional $3.7 million last week. Its lump contribution now stands at $11 million to fight GMO labeling.
As I reported earlier this month here, the GMA was forced to disclose the source of its massive contribution. Under the threat of a lawsuit by the Washington state attorney general, the GMA formed a political action committee, Grocery Manufacturers Association Against I-522, with a list of contributors and amounts. According to the state's Public Disclosure Commission, 34 GMA member companies have contributed. They are:
PepsiCo, Inc.: $2,352,965
In addition to Pepsi soft drinks, the line of products include: Doritos, Tropicana orange juice, Gatorade, Lays potato chips, Ruffles, Aquafina bottled water, Lipton tea, Starbucks ready-to-drink beverages, Naked juice, and Sabra hummus.
Nestle USA, Inc.: $1,528,206
Brands include: Buitoni refrigerated pastas, California Pizza Kitchen, DiGiorno frozen pizza, Lean Cuisine, Dreyer's ice cream, Edy's ice cream, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, Nestea, Juicy Juice, Nescafe instant coffee, Carnation evaporated milk, Libby's canned pumpkin, and Nestle toll house chips.
The Coca-Cola Company: $1,520,351
Brands include: Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Fanta soft drinks, Dasani bottled water, Smartwater, Odwalla juices, Honest Tea, and Minute Maid juices.
General Mills, Inc.: $869, 270
Brands include: Cheerios, Yoplait yogurt, Cascadian Farm organic frozen vegetables, Green Giant frozen vegetables, Muir Glen organic tomatoes, Progresso canned soup, Larabar, Nature Valley granola bars, Macaroni Grill chain restaurant, Hamburger Helper, Betty Crocker, and Gold Medal flour. (Of note, General Mills CEO Ken Powell has said he's for a national GMO labeling requirement.)
ConAgra Foods: $828,251
Brands include: Hunts tomato sauce, Wesson oil, Swiss Miss instant cocoa mix, Gulden's mustard, Peter Pan peanut butter, Alexia frozen foods, David sunflower seeds, Orville Redenbacher's popcorn, and LaChoy soy sauce.
Campbell Soup Company: $384,888
In addition to its line of canned soups, brands include: Plum organics baby food, Prego spaghetti sauce, Pace salsa, Swanson chicken broth, V8 juices, and Pepperidge Farm.
The Hershey Company: $360,450
Chocolate bars, syrup, sweetened milk, cocoa powder, and seasonal confections.
The J.M. Smucker Company: $349,977
Products include: Jams, peanut butter, and ice cream toppings.
Kellogg Company: $322,049
In addition to its line of boxed cereals, products include: Toaster pastries and waffles, protein bars, and ready-made drinks.
Mondelez Global, LLC: $210,335
Cookie brands include: Chips Ahoy!, Oreo, Lu and Nilla. Cracker brands include: Wheat Thins, Ritz, Premium saltines and Cheese Nips. Chocolate brands include Green & Black's, Toblerone, Cadbury. Trident and Dentyne chewing gum. Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese.
FlowersFoods, Inc.: $205,099
Several brands of sliced bread, including: Wonder, Sunbeam, and HomePride.
Abbott Nutrition: $185,025
Brands include Similac baby formula, Pedialyte hydration drink, Ensure nutrition drink, and ZonePerfect bars.
Pinnacle Foods Group, LLC: $175,425
Brands include: Birds Eye frozen vegetables, Vlasic pickles, Wish-Bone dressing, Duncan Hines cake mixes, Log Cabin syrup.
Dean's Foods Company: $174,552
Several brands of dairy products, including Berkeley Farms, Meadow Gold, Dean's, Borden, and PET.
McCormick & Company, Inc.: $148,369
Line of herbs and spices, as well as Old Bay seasoning, Lawry's seasoning, Zatarain's boxed rice mixes, and Thai Kitchen products.
Land O'Lakes, Inc.: $144,878
Products include: Butter, eggs, Kozy Shack puddings.
Cargill, Inc.: $143,133
Brands include Truvia sweetener, Wilbur chocolate products, and food additives for manufacturers.
The Hillshire Brands Company: $282,774
Products include sausages, deli meats, and ham.
Bunge North America, Inc.: $137,896
Products include cooking oil for food service, fats for manufacturers, and retail margarines.
Bimbo Bakeries USA: $137,460
Brands include Sara Lee, Arnold, Stroehmann, Entenmann's, and Thomas' English muffins.
Del Monte Foods Company: $125,677
Products include canned fruit and vegetables, ketchup, fruit cups.
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.: $80,294
Products include fresh cranberries, juice, dried fruit, and canned cranberry sauce.
Hormel Foods Corporation: $76,803
Products include: Chili, deli meats, bacon, and the Dinty Moore brand of canned beef stew.
Bumble Bee Foods, LLC: $52,365
Products include: Canned tuna, salmon, and various types of seafood.
Welch Foods, Inc.: $41,892
Grape juice, jelly, soda, fruit snacks.
Shearer's Foods, Inc.: $36,655
Products include potato chips, pretzels, and other snack foods.
Rich Products Corporation: $34,910
Product line of non-dairy creamers, plus various brands including: Carvel ice cream cakes and Sea Pak shrimp.
Clement Pappas & Company, Inc.: $30,546
Private label sharing for juice, cranberry sauce, and enhanced water.
Sunny Delight Beverages Company: $30,546
Product line of shelf-stable juices.
Bush Brothers & Company: $23,564
Product line of canned beans.
Knouse Foods Cooperative, Inc.: $20,945
Brands include Musselmann's applesauce and Lucky Leaf apple juice and apple products.
The Clorox Company: $17,454
Brands include Glad plastic bags, Brita water filters, and Burt's Bees skin care products.
Bruce Foods Corporation: $4,363
Brands include Cajun Injector marinade, Louisiana hot sauce, and a product line of canned vegetables.
Moody Dunbar, Inc.: $2,618
Products include canned sweet potatoes, jarred pimentos, and peppers.
To date, the Yes on 522 campaign has raised $6.3 million from more than 13,000 donors. Thousands have given $50 or less.
Photo: Flickr/Elephi Pelephi
This story originally appeared on Civil Eats.