Bloglander

GMO labeling Initiative 522 is already making Washington state history as one of the most expensive initiative fights ever, thanks to a heavy influx of cash from deep-pocketed biochemical corporations and food and beverage companies dedicated to defeating the measure.

The No on 522 campaign's top donor is the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the nation's biggest grocery lobby. GMA has contributed a combined $7.2 million, but until today, hadn't revealed which of its members were bankrolling the opposition.

After Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit against GMA for violating campaign disclosure laws, this afternoon, the trade group finally released the names and contributions of 34 member companies that wrote checks to the anti-labeling campaign.

Among them are PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Nestle, which each donated more than $1 million. Many of the top donors are also the owners of popular organic (and therefore non-GMO) brands, such as General Mills (LaraBar, Cascadian Farm and Muir Glenn), Kellogg (Kashi, MorningStar Farms, Bear Naked) and ConAgra (Alexia Foods and Lightlife).

Here's the full list, per the Associated Press:

• PepsiCo, Inc.: $1,620,899
  
• Nestle USA, Inc.: $1,052,743
  
• The Coca-Cola Company: $1,047,332
  
• General Mills, Inc.: $598,819
  
• ConAgra Foods: $285,281
  
• Campbell Soup Company: $265,140
  
• The Hershey Company: $248,305
  
• The J.M. Smucker Company: $241,091
  
• Kellogg Company: $221,852
  
• Mondelez Global LLC: $144,895
  
• FlowersFoods, Inc.: $141,288
  
• Abbott Nutrition: $127,459
  
• Pinnacle Foods Group LLC: $120,846
  
• Dean Foods Company: $120,245
  
• McCormick & Company, Inc.: $102,208
  
• Land O'Lakes, lnc.: $99,803
  
• Cargill, Inc.: $98,601
  
• The Hillshire Brands Company: $97,398
  
• Bunge North America, Inc.: $94,993
  
• Bimbo Bakeries USA: $94,693
  
• Del Monte Foods Company: $86,576
  
• Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.: $55,313
  
• Hormel Foods Corporation: $52,908
  
• Bumble Bee Foods, LLC: $36,073
  
• Welch Foods, Inc.: $28,859
  
• Shearer's Foods, Inc.: $25,251
  
• Rich Products Corporation: $24,049
  
• Clement Pappas & Company, lInc.: $21,043
  
• Sunny Delight Beverages Company: $21,043
  
• Bush Brothers & Company: $16,233
  
• Knouse Foods Cooperative, Inc.: $14,429
  
• The Clorox Company: $12,024
  
• Bruce Foods Corporation: $3,006
  
• Moody Dunbar, Inc.: $1,804