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The battle against the corporate control of our food supply continues to intensify. The latest salvo was fired by the Center for Food Safety, which, on behalf of dozens of other like-minded groups, filed a legal petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling on the FDA to require labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, aka genetically modified organisms (GMOs).The legal action is just one part of the Just Label It! campaign, which hopes to raise awareness about GE foods, which are not labeled as such in the United States.
For those unaware:
"Genetically engineered (GE) foods, also referred to as genetically modified, or GMOs, are those that are altered at the molecular level in ways that could not happen naturally. This means plants and animals that have had their genetic makeup altered to exhibit traits that are not naturally theirs."Another aspect of the campaign allows the public (read: all of us!) to submit online letters to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. Part of the letter, which you'll send by clicking here, reads:
”Genetically engineered foods are required to be labeled in the 15 European Union nations, Russia, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries around the world. As an American, I firmly believe I should also have the right to know if my foods have been genetically engineered.Also, a short video accompanies the campaign:
"A recent poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. As ABC News stated, 'Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare.'"
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3 comments:
This same request arrived in my email from Organic Valley Coop. They are a wealth of info, and offer coupons for their organic dairy products.
http://www.organicvalley.coop/
Thanks for keeping us informed, Rob. A person can't have too many reminders about the importance of being aware of what we ingest.
well here in austria a lot of food is labeled "gen(technik)frei(erzeugt)" - produced without genetic engineering technology. for example, if milk is labeled that way, it means that even the cows may not be fed with ge-food.
point is, i think it's much easier to convince the "good" companies to label their food as "free of ge" than to get the "bad" companies to label theirs.
Anonymous - Yes, Organic Valley is one of several hundred groups that are involved and sending out requests to their email lists. I received requests from the Center for Food Safety, the Environmental Working Group, Pesticide Action Network and one or two others. The more the better.
Alex - (How are you?) I agree that it's easier to get the "good" companies to label, but I think the only way to get the "bad" companies to do it is by creating enough pressure and publicity so it becomes an issue that can't be ignored anymore, similar to what's happened with BPA in the States.
Rob
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