My duty as part of the legislative body of the Food and Agriculture Committee is to sponsor a bill that would require the food industry to label genetically modified foods.
Only 40% of the U.S. population actually knows that some of our daily basic foods are genetically modified. This begs a question. Should we know? There are pros and cons to each side.
Just the same, most consumers would say yes. They have a right to know exactly what is in their food, especially when it concerns people with health problems. Labeling would allow them to easily avoid products that might cause them harm even though many U.S. government officials argue that genetically modified food "poses no inherent safety risk".
Still, there are people who have religious and ethical standards, and they need labels to steer clear of certain foods that violate their beliefs. (certain products may contain animal DNA)
A downside of GE labels is the harsh affects on the economy. If a large percentage of consumers avoid these products then retailers might have to eliminate all GE products from their stock permanently. Food storage and shipments would have to segregate GE and non GE, which our food system infrastructure is not prepared for.
Nevertheless, my answer to this question would have to be yes. If the food industry eases into labeling; starting with the food that foregoes the greatest alterations, we could partially satisfy those who are for GE awareness and those who are averse to it. A compromise.
For now, all we can hope for are advancements in technology to be certain that there are no negative affects of GE food and to assure consumers that they can be open to anything.
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