We heartily endorse Measure 27. It is only fair that the people know what they are eating — especially if it contains genetically engineered products.
The problems, or lack thereof, with genetically engineered foods are not yet known; hence the problem. While scientists for the British Department of Health have determined in short-term studies that some of the more extreme scenarios carry little risk, there are other worries about allergic reactions and whether certain GE foods may affect the body differently than non-GE food would.
For instance, what if genes from a nut were placed in corn? Could it affect those who could have potentially deadly reactions to nuts? There haven’t been enough studies, and all the possible combinations of plant genes that could be used in GE food make a comprehensive study daunting, if not impossible.
Further, there are environmental implications that farmers may not foresee when they plant GE crops. Some research suggests that the natural pesticides created by some GE plants are indiscriminately harmful and will kill species outside of the few that prey on that crop.
There is also concern that GE plants and weeds will intermingle, and that genes that make the crop more hardy will be transferred to the weeds, causing some agricultural havoc.
Given these potential risks, it seems sensible to label the unknown quantity for consumers. People tend to get rightfully indignant when they’re used as an unwitting test subject.
The opponents of Measure 27 point to an immense cost in keeping records to show that all the foods used their product are GE-free if they want to avoid the label. They would like us to forget that they’ve had to do a very similar process for almost 100 years. Labeling of foods is neither a risky scheme nor anything new.
People may not realize that ingredient labeling has been required for a number of different reasons since the early 20th century. First, the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, enacted in the wake of Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” ordered that all ingredients had to be listed on the food’s packaging, and that there had to be proof that the foods were not adulterated. This proof usually consists of diligent record-keeping by the manufacturers or producers.
Further, products have had labels for other purposes for quite a long time. For decades, most companies — even ones that don’t produce foods — have actively sought Jewish kosher certification for their foods and kitchen products, and since the 1990s, all foods have been required to have standardized nutritional info on their packaging. Now, the FDA is allowing those manufacturers who can prove that their food is totally organic to put a label attesting to the fact.
Measure 27 is a reasonable plan. If it passes, we have only one suggestion: The measure should offer a scale telling what percentage of the food is genetically engineered.
Editorial: Mandating gene-spliced food labels a fair measure
Daily Emerald
October 23, 2002
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