Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) has announced its support for Measure 92 in Oregon, which would require labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by Jan. 1, 2016.

The move follows from the retailer's decision in March last year to set a deadline for GMO transparency in all U.S. and Canadian stores by 2018.

More than 155,000 Oregonians signed a petition to put Measure 92 on the ballot this November, and the chain plans to partner up with the Yes on Measure 92 campaign team.

"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 Whole Foods Market's Pacific Northwest president Joe Rogoff.

"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."

Whole Foods Market currently has eight stores and one mobile grocery location in the state of Oregon.

The states of Connecticut and Maine passed GM labeling laws in recent years but with 'trigger clauses' that mean the laws can only go into effect if neighboring states pass similar measures.

In April Vermont became the first U.S. state to pass a GM labeling law without a trigger clause, which has been met with lawsuits from four national organizations - the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the Snack Food Association, the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Mandatory GM labeling is required in several other markets around the world, including the European Union, Australia and New Zealand., while GM crops are banned in some countries such as Peru, Saudi Arabia and Algeria.

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