Just Label It: EarthTalk Talks GMO Labeling Efforts
Monday, April 16, 2012
DYK the FDA doesn't require labels for foods with genetically modified ingredients? (iStockPhoto)
By now, you’ve probably realized I’m a natural kind of gal. I love whole foods, fresh fruits and veggies, organic dark chocolate and ice cream…you name it, if it appears delicious, wholesome, and organic, I’m on it. So it troubles me that there are still no requirements that food labels indicate when they’ve been made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
As a mom, I strongly believe we should have the right to know what we’re feeding ourselves and our families.
Fortunately, I’m not alone in this feeling. Thanks to our partnership with EarthTalk, I’m pleased to share this info on a leader in the effort, the Just Label It Campaign.
Dear EarthTalk: Can you fill me in on what the “Just Label It” campaign is and what it is trying to accomplish?—Eric Altieri, Columbus, OH
Just Label It is an effort spearheaded by organic farmers and food producers, consumer and public health advocates and environmentalists to persuade the federal government to require that foods with genetically engineered (GE) ingredients be labeled accordingly. Consumers have a right, they believe, to be able to make informed choices about which foods they put into their bodies and support with their pocketbooks.
Most Americans aren’t aware that some 80 percent of processed foods at grocery stores contain GE (also known as “genetically modified,” or GM) ingredients—yet in polls 93 percent of us support the notion of mandatory labeling of such foods. At present the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require labels for foods with GE ingredients.
(Read More Here …)
