Stacy Malkan of California Right to Know 2012 recently sent us a fact sheet to address some of the questions about Proposition 37. That ballot initiative would require food companies to label foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMO) or genetically engineered foods (GE). While No on 37 has stated that the American Medical Association has said GE foods are safe, they do not mention that both the AMA and the World Health Organization has said mandatory safety studies on these foods should be required. The U.S. government does not require any safety studies for GE foods, and no long-term human health studies have ever been conducted on these products. According to WHO, there are three main issues with GE foods: "tendencies to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity), gene … [Read more...]
CA Right to Know Responds to No on 37
A few days ago we told you about the "No on 37" response to California ballot initiative Prop 37. Proposition 37 will make it illegal to sell foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMO) or genetically engineered ingredients (GE) unless the label lists those foods on the package. No on 37 said that "Proposition 37 would ban the sale of tens of thousands of ... grocery products." Stacy Malkan of CARighttoKnow.org told Food Poisoning Bulletin, "Prop 37 does not 'ban the sale' of food unless it is specifically repackaged. It requires companies to add a few words to their labels. How is this going to increase the cost of food by billions of dollars? Remember, these are the same companies that told us DDT and Agent Orange were safe. Personally I don't trust them to have our best … [Read more...]
No on 37 Group States Their Case
We've told you about Proposition 37, a ballot measure in California that would require labels on all foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. Now the group "No on 37" has sent us a press release detailing their side of the argument. The organization No on 37 has released a statement urging voters to reject Proposition 37. That California ballot initiative would require food manufacturers to label all products that contain genetically modified (GMO) or genetically engineered (GE) foods. Opponents of Prop 37 include Monsanto, Dupont, Dow Chemical, and major food manufacturers such as Nestle, General Mills, and Con Agra. The press release states, "Proposition 37 would ban the sale of tens of thousands of perfectly safe, common grocery products only in California unless they … [Read more...]
New Donations Reported to Fight Prop 37
Stacy Malkan of California Right to Know told Food Poisoning Bulletin that new donations to fight Proposition 37 were just reported to the California Secretary of State. Monsanto Co., by far the largest contributor, has donated $4.2 million. The total contributions now total almost $25 million. Almost $23 million has been donated against Prop 37 in the last week. Ms. Malkan said, "the giant pesticide and food companies are afraid of the mothers and grandmothers who want the right to know what's in our food." The "Big 6" pesticide companies: Monsanto, Dow, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta, and Dupont, have contributed $13.5 million so far. And of the twenty largest contributors to the No on 37 campaign, only one is from a company based in California. The organization Coalition Against Costly … [Read more...]
GMO Right to Know Initiative Will be Prop 37 on California Ballot
According to Stacy Malkan, Media Director for the California Right to Know 2012 ballot initiative, the genetically modified organisms (GMO) labeling measure will be called Prop 37 on the November ballot. Ms. Malkan said, "Prop 37 is about our fundamental right to know what's in the food we eat and feed our children. Given the broad support in the state - and across the country - for the right to know if our food is genetically engineered, we are confident California voters will make history by passing Prop 37 in November." There is widespread support for labeling genetically engineered foods. Ninety percent of voters in the United States and California back labeling, according to recent polls. And only 25% of American consumers think GMOs are basically safe. The European Union has been … [Read more...]
WTO Rules Against COOL Again
Back in April, we told you about the Obama administration appealing the World Trade Organization's ruling that the U.S. country of origin labeling (COOL) program in the 2008 Farm Bill is a barrier to free trade. On June 29, 2012, the WTO ruled against the United States' COOL plan again, saying it unfairly discriminated against Mexico and Canada because of certain record keeping and verification requirements those countries say were designed to "achieve a protectionist objective". U.S. meat processors must separate Canadian and Mexican animals and the meat that comes from them, increasing costs, so the big processors tend to avoid meat from those countries. Canada and Mexico brought the case to the WTO in 2008. Other parts of the decision affirmed the U.S. right to adopt COOL. It … [Read more...]
American Medical Association Calls for Testing of GMO Foods
At their annual convention in Chicago this month, the American Medical Association passed a resolution calling for mandatory testing of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and genetically engineered (GE) foods. The organization did not call for labeling of these altered foods, as many groups want, although 19 doctors did sign a statement calling for labeling. That statement said: "In the face of scientific uncertainty, labeling is a common risk management tool and one that could help track any potential adverse health effects. Our support of labeling also takes into consideration the fact that consumers want to know whether there are genetically engineered ingredients in their food, and they have a right to know. We stand with the 90% of Americans who want mandatory labeling of … [Read more...]
Organic Standards Protection Act Introduced in Congress
Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Richard Hanna (R-NY) have introduced the Organic Standards Protection Act to the U.S. House of Representatives to give the National Organics Program authority to make sure that foods labeled with the organic seal quality for that designation. The Organic Trade Association and the National Organic Coalition support this bill. The legislation would: Grant the USDA the authority to stop the sales of products labeled "certified organic" when they are not organically produced or grown. Streamline the recordkeeping requirements of the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act. All organic producers and certifiers would be required to maintain records and sent them to the USDA. A fine of up to $10,000 per incident would be levied for those who … [Read more...]
Groups Ask FDA for Decision on GE Fish
The groups Earthjustice, the Ocean Conservancy, Friends of the Earth, the Center for Food Safety, and Food & Water Watch have sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking for a response to a petition they filed a year ago. The petition asked the FDA to complete an environmental impact statement on the risks associated with genetically engineered (GE) fish. The petition was sent to the agency a year ago in response to an application filed in 2010 by AquaBounty Technologies, which wants to sell GE salmon. The FDA received more than 400,000 comments in opposition to this plan. The groups want the FDA to reach a decision on GE fish and to be more transparent in their decision-making process. Last month, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) proposed an amendment to the … [Read more...]
U.S. Senate Vote Close on Genetically Modified Salmon
On May 24, 2012, the U.S. Senate narrowly voted against an amendment to further study genetically modified salmon before it is put into commerce, 46 - 50. Sixty votes were required for the bill to pass. The amendment, sponsored by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) would have "required environmental and economic impact studies of the first generally engineered animal in the human food supply," according to a press release by the California Right to Know Campaign. The salmon, created by AquaBounty Technologies, has been engineered to contain a growth hormone gene from the Chinook salmon and a genetic switch from an eel-like creature, the press release states. The growth hormone makes the salmon grow twice as fast as normal. The engineered female fish will be made sterile by inducing … [Read more...]
