bake - April 2015 - 14

legislation

GMO Legislation Reintroduced
In February of 2015, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Richard

surprised to learn that GE foods are not already labeled. Also,

Blumenthal (D-CT), and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), reintro-

64 countries around the world already require the labeling of

duced The Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act.

GE foods, including all the member nations of the European

The act would require the US Food and Drug Administration to

Union, Russia, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand.

label genetically engineered (GE) food and foods containing
GE ingredients.

Millions of Americans have ﬁled comments with the FDA
urging the agency to label GE foods, underscoring that today's

"Consumers have a right to know what is in the foods they eat

consumers, who are used to reading labels to see if foods

and parents have a right to know what they are feeding their

contain MSG, gluten, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup or

families," Boxer says.

aspartame, clearly want more information when making decisions for their families.

"The public wants more information about the food they are
buying and how it's grown," says Chef Tom Colicchio, who

The legislation would require clear labels for GE foods

joined advocates from Just Label It, Food Policy Action,

intended for human consumption, including whole foods,

Environmental Working Group and Center for Food Safety, and

processed foods, seafood and animal-based foods to provide

lawmakers at a press conference announcing the bill. "I applaud

consumers with material information about their food and

Sens. Boxer and Blumenthal and Rep. DeFazio for their leader-

prevent consumer confusion. Under the bill, if a food has been

ship and urge their colleagues to join them in standing up for

genetically engineered, it would be identiﬁed as a GE food

the 93 percent of Americans who want to know whether their

in the ingredients list. Any product that has been genetically

food has been genetically modiﬁed."

engineered would also not be allowed to identify itself with a
"natural" label.

The FDA stated in 1992 that there was not sufficient evidence
to conclude that any meaningful or uniform difference between
bioengineered food and foods developed by traditional plant
breeding existed and that the bioengineered foods presented
any greater safety concern.
The FDA currently supports voluntary labeling in which food
manufacturers indicate whether their products have or have
not been developed through genetic engineering, "provided
such labeling is truthful and not misleading."
American Mindset
According to surveys, more than 90 percent of Americans
support the labeling GE foods. In fact, many consumers are

14 < APR 2015 | bakemag.com

"Consumers have a right to
know what is in the foods
they eat and parents have a
right to know what they are
feeding their families."
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
http://www.bakemag.com
bake - April 2015

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