You will recall that the FDA's 1994 stance on labeling of genetically modified (GM) foods was that labeling foods as GM or non-GM would be misleading because the foods are no different. Despite overwhelming evidence that the public wants to know whether foods are GM or not, GM foods do not have to be labeled. Worse, those that are labeled non-GM have to include a disclaimer that this makes no difference (I explain how all this happened in Safe Food).
At present, there is no way to know whether GM foods that have been approved by FDA (such as potatoes, tomatoes, squash, papayas) are actually in the produce section of supermarkets. When I was writing What to Eat, I paid to have some papayas tested. Most were not GM. But you have no way of knowing that.
The Europeans are faced with the same problem but insist on labeling GM. Guess what? No problem.
The GM industry (translation: Monsanto) has opposed labeling from the very beginning, no doubt because of fears that people will reject GM foods. The makers of processed foods object to labeling because practically everything they make contains GM ingredients: about 90 percent of the soybeans and 50 percent of the corn grown in America is GM. Ingredients made from these foods--corn and soy oils, proteins, and sweeteners--are widely used in processed foods.
The Europeans are faced with the same problem but insist on labeling GM. Guess what? No problem. Hershey's Reese's NutRageous candy bars in the U.K. disclose the GM ingredients in exactly the way our products disclose allergens: "Contains: Peanuts, Genetically Modified Sugar, Soya and Corn." Here's a link to a photo of the label.
Hershey is an American company. If labeling in the U.K. is this simple, we ought to be able to do this here, no? Here's a chance for the FDA to fix an old mistake and give consumers a real choice.
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If people in the U.S. really cared about whether or not their food was GM, products labeled non-GM would sell at enough of a premium that anyone who could honestly label their food non-GM would, allowing consumers to tell the difference without any need for more layers of regulation. But is there any reason for people to care if their food's been genetically modified?
No, edianes, there is no sound reason why you should care if your food is genetically modified. This is an example of the imaginary "threats" on which we progressives waste our time. Just eat it; you'll be fine.
Just for the record: I am in no way associated with Monsanto or any other firm or individual associated with the genetic modification of food. I am simply a PhD who can read and reason.
The Washington Post article (Jan 1, 2002) "Monsanto Hid Decades Of Pollution PCBs Drenched Ala. Town, But No One Was Ever Told" revealed Monsanto's treacherous behavior in Anniston, Alabama. It is summed up in this chilling paragraph: "They also know that for nearly 40 years, while producing the now-banned industrial coolants known as PCBs at a local factory, Monsanto Co. routinely discharged toxic waste into a west Anniston creek and dumped millions of pounds of PCBs into oozing open-pit landfills. And thousands of pages of Monsanto documents -- many emblazoned with warnings such as "CONFIDENTIAL: Read and Destroy" -- show that, for decades, the corporate giant concealed what it did and what it knew.” And dumped as much as 50 tons of mercury down company storm sewers.
With this track record, you would trust that Monsanto's GMOs are safe based only upon Monsanto's testing and safety statements? Since Monsanto does not allow any independent testing of its GMOs, I certainly would not!
Edianes,
Spoken like a true support of GMOs. Problem is that a vast majority of people want to know if there are genetically modified ingredients in their food, primarily because they have very real concerns about a technology that was never been fully tested before being unleashed on mankind.
And since so many of the processed ingredients in cheap foods likely contain GM ingredients, asking the companies producing non-GMO foods to shoulder the label burden is like taxing them for another parties actions. In other words, the suggestion is ridiculous and unfair.
Cheers,
Rob Smart
a.k.a., Jambutter on Twitter
http://everytable.wordpress.com
Yes Omniryx, there is sound reason why you should care if your food is generically modified. It is not an imaginary threat. With your PhD, start at this link :
http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html
You may not be convinced but you will probably find that there is at least reason for more study. While there is doubt, I would personally rather not ingest the stuff and would very much welcome both labeling and further, non-industry financed study.
Oh great. Foodie birthers.
:-) That's funny. Equating a racist, insane and illogical rant to a call for more study and labeling like that done in all of Europe is a pretty big stretch don't you think? When the EU declares that Obama's not really the President of the United States, you might have an analogy..
It makes no sense to deem GM food "safe" - because genetic modification can encompass an unlimited universe of modification including anything and everything. Monsanto dreams of a day whereby vaccinations and other pharmaceuticals are delivered via food.
I want to know what I am consuming and Monsanto is committed to preventing me from having the information necessary to make informed choices. Our capitalist system depends on the free flow of information.
There is no legitimate objection to labeling.