Will Consumers Cheer On GMO-Free Cheerios?

General Mills' announcement that it will be introducing Cheerios with nonGMO ingredients has created quite the media splash, even putting a dent in coverage of the polar vortex.  As some media reports have noted, however, a GMO-free Cheerios is not that big a stretch as there is very little in Cheerios that has a GMO equivalent (Oats, the primary ingredient, are not a genetically modified food.)

Genetically modifying our food supply has its share of supporters (making foods more healthy and disease and pest resistant) and detractors (unwittingly creating some sort of "frankenfood") and we know better than to wade into that debate.  However, the introduction of a nonGMO ingredient version of such an iconic brand raises a number of interesting legal questions and many other brands are likely to watch closely to see how this introduction goes from both a marketing and legal perspective.