Between 80% and 95% of Americans believe foods with genetically modified ingredients (“GMOs”) should be labeled.
But they’re not. Consumers today simply cannot know whether they’re eating GMOs unless they buy exclusively organic or to seek out products voluntarily labeled “Non-GMO.” About 80% of processed food products in the U.S. contain genetically modified ingredients, and even genetically engineered whole foods, ranging from tomatoes to papayas, have appeared in American grocery stores.
This is a reassuring label to see. Unfortunately, you won't see the opposite (GMOs). In the meantime, the best bet may be to assume that if you don't see this label (or the USDA Organic seal), and you're buying processed foods, then you're eating GMOs.
But, despite fierce opposition from the biotech industry, this may soon change. Public interest group LabelGMOs filed papers earlier this month with the California attorney general’s office asking that mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be put on the ballot.
Different people have different reasons for not wanting to eat GMOs. Some worry about the environment: When crops are genetically modified to resist certain pesticides, these pesticides tend to be sprayed heavily and cause the evolution of “superweeds” that resist those pesticides, calling for the use of additional, different pesticides.
Others worry about their health. While GMO’s haven’t yet been shown definitively to cause harm in humans, they’ve barely been tested. The FDA requires little if any testing before it deregulates any GMO, and the testing that does happen is usually conducted by the manufacturer itself. It then remains unpublished and unreviewed.
Whatever the reasons, consumers may be about to learn what’s in their food: LabelGMOs must collect over 500,000 signatures to land the GMO labeling initiative on the ballot, but they’ve already started organizing a signature collection campaign. If they succeed and Californians vote as polls suggest they will, GMO labeling may soon be required not only in California but across the United States. California is a large enough market not only to grasp the attention of political activists around the country but to get the attention of food manufacturers who currently use GMOs.
This is an exciting development, and one I will watch very closely.
Here Here! Me and my wife were just talking about how our foods need to tell us if they use GMO products in them. Its simply irresponsible and deceptive how these food companies operate. I hope this initiative spreads all over the nation for GMO labeling. I do support a new company called Beyond Organic which is at the title says “beyond organic” in that they produce foods in the most natural way possible. There’s more information about it if you click my blog name on this comment.
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The primary aim of labeling is to inform consumers whether or not a modified microorganism or plant has been included during the production.
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