Snack World - November 2014 - 10

SUPPLIER INSIGHT

CANTRELL

Making Our Voice Heard
Y
ou've probably noticed an increase in attention that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are receiving
lately. It's difficult to pick up a food industry trade magazine (or other magazine for that matter) and not
see an article talking about GMOs in our food supply.
Voters in Colorado and Oregon headed to the polls to vote on ballot initiatives very similar to those that recently
failed in both California and Washington, while Vermont's recently passed GMO labeling law is being challenged in
court (no doubt the first of many if similar bills are passed).
GMOs are an emotional issue to people, and the opinions around the subject seem to be to one extreme or the
other. Anytime someone finds out I'm a food scientist, one of the first topics they ask about is my stance on GMOs
(usually right behind "What do they really put in hot dogs?"). It's rare that I find someone whose mind has not already been made up on the topic, and most fall into the anti-GMO camp based on information they've heard from
one of the many groups frequently using this issue to push a political agenda.
As most of you who have been working in the industry for a number of years understand, food is a personal issue because it's something that we put inside our bodies. In addition to being a way to take in nourishment, food
is a way of sharing personal time with friends and family. We use meals as opportunities to spend time with one
another; some important conversations take place over meals with those we love.
Over the past few years, many have used this personal nature of food to advance particular political or personal
agendas at the expense of the truth. There seems to be no end to the steady stream of anti-agriculture or anti-foodindustry documentaries being released. As the SFA represents a large segment of the food industry, it's critical that
we strive for equal time and balance. We cannot afford to stand on the sidelines and wait to see what happens. We
have to stay engaged and make sure the science behind GMOs becomes part of the conversation. As Tom and Mark
have pointed out in their letter, there are a number of third-party, science-based studies that have confirmed there
are no significant hazards related to the consumption of GMOs.
As an organization, SFA is in favor of transparency via voluntary labeling, and to that end, we have helped sponsor a bill that would allow this. Unfortunately, because GMOs continue to be a third-rail issue, there are few in the
current political environment who are willing to take a stand to help the industry. Until this changes, it will be up to
us as individuals to represent the science side of this issue.
Sincerely,

David Cantrell
President
Associate Executive Council
Senior Sales Director
DairiConcepts
DCantrell@dairiconcepts.com
10

Snack World

November 2014

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Snack World - November 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snack World - November 2014