Whole Foods Market® Supports Measure 92; Endorses GMO Labeling Campaign

PORTLAND, Ore., July 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Whole Foods Market strongly supports Oregon's Measure 92, requiring mandatory labeling of raw and packaged foods containing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) by January 1, 2016.

More than 155,000 Oregonians signed a petition to put Measure 92 on the ballot this November.

"At Whole Foods Market, we believe consumers have a fundamental right to know what's in their food so that they can make informed choices about what's right for them and their families," said Joe Rogoff, Whole Foods Market's Regional President of the Pacific Northwest.

"We label ingredients, we label allergens, we label nutrients, and we label countries of origin. Why wouldn't we also require labeling for genetic modification? The time has come for the people of Oregon to let their voices be heard and make a change," said Rogoff.

Whole Foods Market currently has eight stores and one mobile grocery location in the state of Oregon. Together with thousands of Oregon-based team members, Whole Foods Market will partner with the Yes on Measure 92 campaign team to support this measure to victory.

In March 2013, Whole Foods Market became the first national grocer to set a deadline for full GMO transparency. By 2018, all food in Whole Foods Market's U.S. and Canadian stores must be labeled to indicate if they contain GMOs. Whole Foods Market has already been hard at work with its suppliers for several years to source products without GMO ingredients. Whole Foods Market currently sells more than 6,800 grocery items, represented by more than 500 brands that are verified non-GMO. This is more than any retailer in North America.

For more information on Yes on Measure 92, please visit www.oregonrighttoknow.org.

About Whole Foods Market^®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFM), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America's first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named "America's Healthiest Grocery Store" by Health magazine. The company's motto, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet"™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company's more than 78,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in America by FORTUNE magazine for 15 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2013, the company had sales of $12.9 billion and currently has more than 360 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

SOURCE Whole Foods Market