Vermont, grocery industry agree to dismiss GMO lawsuit

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The state of Vermont, the Grocery Manufacturers of America and a number of other food industry groups have agreed to dismiss a federal lawsuit that challenged a state law requiring the labeling of some foods made with genetically modified organisms.

In a Wednesday court filing in Vermont, the parties to the lawsuit agreed the suit was no longer needed because a new federal law pre-empted the state law that took effect July 1. The lawsuit had been on appeal to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.

In July, Congress passed a law that requires most food packages to carry a text label, symbol or an electronic code to indicate whether the food contains GMOs.

Some say the federal law isn't as strict as the Vermont law.