Attorney Carlos A. Gamiño has a keen interest in individual rights and has been closely following the debate about “safe food” since it began.
As a lawyer, I’m rarely surprised when people try to get around laws (like the recent Hobby Lobby case in the Supreme Court – but we’ll touch on that in another post) so that what they’re doing isn’t criminal. However, one thing I just can’t wrap my head around is the big deal over food labels.
Genetically Modified Foods: Why All the Disagreement?
Science tells us that genetically modified foods, such as those that contain high-fructose corn syrup, are perfectly safe for human consumption. A pretty large subset of the population disagrees, and some countries have even gone so far as to ban genetically modified foods. In the U.S., a recent New York Times poll said that 93 percent of Americans want labels to make more informed choices about what they eat.
Fair enough, right?
Big business is digging in and dragging its heels, though: The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Snack Food Association, the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Association of Manufacturers are among those suing to stop a law that requires GMO labeling in Vermont.
What’s the big deal? If it’s safe, it’s safe – and labels won’t change that.
GMO Labeling is a Big Fight
It’s bigger than Vermont. It’s bigger than the North or the South. It’s the whole country, and even ice cream magnate Jerry Greenfield (of Ben & Jerry’s fame) is weighing in, saying that it’s unfair to block states from requiring labels on genetically modified foods.
But that’s exactly what a bill introduced by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) would do: it would prevent any state from requiring GMO food labeling.
Why? Perhaps there’s big money in genetically modified foods, and manufacturers are afraid that seeing “GMO” on the label will scare away customers; maybe they’re resistant to any kind of change. I don’t know.
What’s your take?
Looking forward to hearing what you think –
I think that if people want them labeled, they should be labeled! It always makes things look sketchy when companies don’t want to jump on board with consumers.
We properly call Pompeo’s proposed legislation the DARK Act, is awful. Deny Americans the Right to Know is what we’re calling it in the movement. It has he potential to undo all sorts of legislation that is pending that the people have decided on.
It doesn’t matter too much though in the end, because consumers are wising up and legislation or not, we’re buying more and more non-GMO foods every day. Major manufacturers see it and are offering alternative or quietly switching to non-GMO. Like Cheerios for example. No big non-GMO parade, just a tiny blog post announcing the change.
They will all have to change regardless of bought and paid for lawmakers like Pompeo.