The Berkshire Eagle finally did respond by publishing this letter in its edition of August 31 ,2015.
I sent this letter to the editor of the Berkshire Eagle on 8/24/15. They apparently have declined to publish it. So I am publishing it here:
To the editor:
Kudos on giving such prominent play to pending legislation in Boston that would require genetically modified foods (GMOs) to be labeled in Massachusetts (“GMO labeling bill moves forward on Beacon Hill,” Berkshire Eagle, 8/24/15).
It was, however, disheartening that of the handful of Berkshire businesses named in the article that support mandatory GMO labeling, the one leading the charge and making the most strides in this area was omitted.
Berkshire Organics of Dalton, Mass., is to my knowledge the only market in the region that refuses to stock any products containing GMOs. A shopper can walk into Berkshire Organics with confidence that label-reading is totally unnecessary – all products have been vetted before they are put on the shelves. Absolutely none contain ingredients with GMOs. This surprisingly isn’t the case at some of the region’s other generally more progressive “natural” markets and food co-ops.
None of these items on the shelves at Berkshire Organics contain GMOs
Furthermore, Berkshire Organics’s efforts in this arena have been acknowledged nationally. In 2013, Berkshire Organics was chosen as a top 12 Right to Know GMOs Grocer in North America by the Organic Consumers Association. The top 12 markets were chosen based on their efforts in leading the natural food industry by working with manufacturers and local producers to transition to non-GMO ingredients and by advocating for GMO labeling.
We are fortunate to have a national leader in the effort to insure the safety of our food supply by supporting mandatory GMO labeling – and ultimately, to ban GMOs in our food – right here in the Berkshires. Let’s celebrate, acknowledge, and support these efforts whenever possible.
– Seth Rogovoy, Hudson, N.Y.