The Vermont Senate has approved H.112, a bill to label GMO or GE foods, with a vote of 28 to 2. Tee bill now goes to the House for a final vote before it heads to the governor's desk. Governor Peter Shumlin has indicated he is likely to sign it, which would make Vermont the first state to require labeling of genetically engineered products. If the bill does become law, it would go into effect on July 1, 2016. While other states such as Maine have similar bills on the books, they also have trigger clauses, which means the law does not go into effect unless neighboring states pass labeling laws. Vermont Right to Know GMOs, a collaborative project of several consumer advocacy groups, approved the action. That group has submitted petitions to the government with more than 36,000 … [Read more...]
FDA Publishes Guidance Document for Honey Labeling
The FDA is cracking down on honey labeling, issuing a guidance document that will require companies to label honey that is not 100% honey as "blend of sugar and honey" or "blend of honey and corn syrup". The American Beekeeping Federation and other honey associations have been advocating for this change for years. That organization submitted a citizen petition in 2006 asking that the FDA adopt a U.S. standard of identify for honey. Often products that are labeled as "honey" contain other sweeteners, which some believe is food fraud. Honey is made of glucose and fructose, along with minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Honey has antiseptic an antibacterial properties and is a natural anti-inflammatory, while sugar is considered inflammatory. In addition, products … [Read more...]
Consumer Groups Applaud Court’s COOL Ruling
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled yesterday that the Country of Origin Labeling on meats can continue. COOL was put into effect last year, but the meat industry filed suit to block it. The court denied a preliminary injunction against COOL, so consumers will be informed about where the meat they buy is grown and produced. Food & Water Watch is one of the groups in favor of the court's decision. Wenonah Hauter, that agency's executive director said in a statement, "The Federal Appeals Court correctly affirmed the legitimate consumer interest in being able to make informed choices about the origin and safety of their meat products. The court recognized that COOL labels should be transparent and informative enough for consumers to make these choices, … [Read more...]
FDA Proposes Changes to Nutrition Labels
The FDA is changing nutrition labels put on all food packages. The box is going to have new design and new content. Michael Landa, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition said, "Obesity, hearty disease and other chronic diseases are leading public health problems. The proposed new label is intended to bring attention to calories and serving sizes, which are important in addressing these problems. Further, we are now proposing to require the listing of added sugars." One of the changes is larger and bolder type on calories. The number of servings per package is going to be more prominent. Too often, small packages seem like they only contain one serving. Consumers have to look more closely to see how many servings actually deliver the calories on the label. … [Read more...]
Food & Water Watch Comment on EU’s Clone Directives
Food & Water Watch is commenting on the European Commission's directives on clones in the food chain that states food from offspring of cloned animals doesn't need to be labeled. They say it falls "woefully short" of what citizens want. The draft laws only "provisionally prohibit" cloning farm animals, along with the sale and import of food from clones. The laws do not prohibit the sale of food from the offspring of clones. And the phrase "to preserve the competitiveness of Union farmers, the proposal does not regulate reproductive material of clones" means that farms can import and use that material and sell the food that results from it into the marketplace. Most troubling to food safety advocates, the draft laws don't require labels on food made from cloned animals' offspring. … [Read more...]
Natural Label Should Not Include GMO Foods
Center for Food Safety has called on the FDA to not let GMO foods carry the "natural" label. The Grocery Manufacturer's Association has announced it would submit a petition to the government to define the term "natural" to include foods produced using genetic engineering. CFS is asking that the FDA exclude genetic engineering from any definition of "natural" and to not make any decisions without public input. Colin O'Neil, director of government affairs to Center for Food Safety said in a statement, "there is nothing natural about genetic engineering, which is exactly why the Grocery Manufacturers Association wants FDA to create a special exemption for it. Natural is a great marketing tool and the industry doesn't want to be restricted in using it." Genetic engineering is not a … [Read more...]
GMO Labeling Law Loses in Washington
The GMO labeling ballot initiative was defeated in Tuesday's voting. The initiative, I-522, would have made manufacturers label foods made from genetically engineered (GE) and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Washington state voting is done by mail, so votes will be counted until December 5, 2013. Yes on 522 is currently behind by almost 8 points and unlikely to make up the difference. And just like the fight for Prop 37 in California, early polls indicated strong support for the initiative, which declined after a media campaign blitz by corporations. Other states that have labeling laws include Connecticut and Maine, but those laws will not go into effect until five other states have passed similar laws. Next year, which is an election year, more than 20 other states may have GMO … [Read more...]
Consumer Groups Urge Defense of Country of Origin Labeling
The Consumer Federation of America is urging Farm Bill conferees to defend the 2008 Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law for beef, poultry, pork, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, and some nuts. The National Farmers Union, the U.S. Cattleman's Association, and the American Sheep Industry ASsociation joined in urging Congress to ignore a letter from agribusiness that asked Congress to change the law. Chris Waldrop, Director of the Food Policy Institute at Consumer Federation of America said in a statement, "Ninety percent of Americans strongly support mandatory country of origin labeling for fresh meat and, in fact, want even more information about the meat they purchase. There is no reason for Congress to change this popular law." A recent World Trade Organization decision on … [Read more...]
New Study Claims GMO Labeling Will Not Affect Food Prices
A new study released by the national Just Label It campaign has found that requiring food manufacturers to label products that contain genetically engineered (GE) and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will not increase food prices. The study was conducted by food marketing expert Kai Robertson. He found no evidence connecting changes in food labels to supermarket prices. The labeling controversy has played out in the political arena. Last year, a labeling campaign in California, Prop 37, was defeated in the November elections after a massive spending campaign by the group No on 37, which was sponsored by food giants Monsanto, General Mills, and Dupont. More than 30 states are putting the issue on ballots this year and next year, and Maine and Connecticut have passed GMO labeling … [Read more...]
Groups Petition Court for Permission to Defend COOL
Four groups joined together to file court papers last week for permission to defend mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) from a "spurious lawsuit" brought by the meatpacking industry. R-CALF USA, Food & Water Watch, the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, and the Western Organization of Resource Councils petitioned the court to let them defend the labeling law. COOL requires muscle cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and goat meat to display where the animal was born, raised, and slaughtered and prohibits the "commingled" mixed-origin label. Those labels allowed meat produced completely in the U.S. to carry a label such as "Product of Mexico, USA." Country of Origin Labeling has been a contentious issue and has been the subject of several lawsuits in the past few years. The American … [Read more...]
