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| Genetically-modified Foods Should Be Labeled As Such. |
| In the U.S., the "FDA's current position on food labeling is governed by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act which is only concerned with food additives, not whole foods or food products that are considered 'GRAS' - generally recognized as safe. The FDA contends that GM foods are substantially equivalent to non-GM foods, and therefore not subject to more stringent labeling. If all GM foods and food products are to be labeled, Congress must enact sweeping changes in the existing food labeling policy." OBVIOUSLY, IT IS BAD FOR CERTAIN BUSINESSES, BUT SHOULD BE DONE FOR OUR AWARENESS. |
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I would definitely like to know what is in the food I'm eating...the nutritional chart is on there
so why shouldn't it also be labeled genetically modified? |
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I would like to know if i'm going to be mutated by my foods |
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Here's the bottom line: Many many consumers would very much like to know which foods are laboratory
modified and which are traditional or were simply selectively bred through natural processes. If
consumers want to know then the government and food producers should give them that option. It
doesn't even matter if the government were right that the GM foods are safe and taste the same, what
matters is consumers want to know. It's highly suspect that they refuse to let us know. |
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Http://www.thecampaign.org/index.php says:
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Why don't the food manufacturers and the biotech companies want you to know if your foods
have been genetically engineered?
Answer: Because if they are labeled, you will start asking questions such as "Have these genetically
engineered foods been safety tested on humans?" The answer to that question is NO!
Question: Doesn't the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) require genetically engineered foods
to be safety tested like they do for new drugs and food additives before they are sold to the public
for consumption?
Answer: NO! With limited exceptions, under current FDA regulations, companies are not even required
to notify the agency they are bringing new genetically engineered products to the market.
Question: How much of the food I buy in the grocery stores contain genetically engineered
ingredients?
Answer: Since genetically engineered soy and corn are used in many processed foods, it is estimated
that over 70 percent of the foods in grocery stores in the U.S. And Canada contain genetically
engineered ingredients.
Question: Are people all over the world eating genetically engineered foods?
Answer: No, all of the European Union nations, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand and many other
countries require the mandatory labeling of foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients.
As a result, food manufacturers in all those countries choose to use non-genetically engineered
ingredients.
Question: Are you telling me that people in the United States and Canada are eating a lot more
genetically engineered foods than in many other countries in the world?
Answer: Yes, citizens in the United States and Canada are engaged in the largest feeding experiment
in human history and most people are not even aware of the fact.
Question: What countries are growing genetically engineered crops?
Answer: There were only five countries that grew about 98 percent of the $44 billion of commercial
genetically engineered crops in 2003-2004. Those five countries were: The United States ($27.5
billion), Argentina ($8.9 billion), China ($3.9 billion), Canada ($2.0 billion) and Brazil ($1.6
billion).
Question: What can I do to help properly regulate genetically engineered foods so that I can rest
assure that these experimental crops will not harm human health or the environment?
Answer: The single most important step you can take is to mail three letters using the U.S. Postal
Service. One letter goes to your Congressional Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives
and the other two to your state's two Senators serving in the U.S. Senate. The letters request that
they support legislation to label genetically engineered foods. We have form letters on this web
site for this purpose.
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A brief word about terminology
Analysts use many different phrases to describe genetically engineered foods. The biotech industry
rarely uses the phrase "genetically engineered foods," sticking with the more bland (and less
controversial) phrase "biotech foods."
In Europe, genetically engineered foods are more commonly referred to as genetically modified foods,
genetically altered foods or GMOs (short for genetically modified organisms). But scientists
generally agree that "genetically engineered" more accurately represents the process than
"genetically modified."
Supporters of biotech foods often try to argue that we have been genetically modifying our foods for
centuries, through a process known as hybridization, or interbreeding. But that process is far
different than the recombinant DNA splicing used in modern agricultural biotechnology.
It is interesting to note that the eleventh edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
added the word "Frankenfood" as another term to describe genetically engineered food. |
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 For and Against Recent Activity
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02 May 2009 19:46
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