Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/663907
Originally published by the AzDaily Sun By Carl B. ompson, January 23, 2016 • 64 countries have laws requiring labels for foods containing GE ingredients • 19 of 28 European Union members have banned cultivation of GE crops • e rest of the world has the right to know what they are eating; why don't you? We have to ask, if genetically engineered foods are so good for us, why do we not have the choice whether to eat them or not? Several national polls repeatedly report that about 9 of 10 Americans support mandatory GE labeling. e Mellman Group's 2015 poll records that preference among large majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents. Why does the industry spend millions trying to suppress labeling? eir excuse is that labeling will raise the cost of food for poor people. e fast food industry made that same argument for decades to fight the legal requirement to reveal the "nutrition" content of their foods. Americans won that one, with fast foods remaining relatively cheap. You can walk into any fast food place and ask for their nutrition chart; they must have it ready to give to you. e FDA decides food labeling based on any "material" changes, already requiring labels for about 3,000 ingredients or processes in food production. Big food chains change their labels all the time. Exciting for the American consumer is that the USDA has announced its plans to write totally new guidelines for GE oversight. Long overdue, it is the reason why industry spokespersons are flooding the media with their stories. GE foods flood our supermarkets, without the right for the consumer to know. Estimates calculate that 75 percent of frozen and processed foods have GE ingredients. Over 90 percent of our corn, soya, canola, cotton seed are GE. Wheat is not yet commercially GE because farmers across the Midwest rose up and made Monsanto put that seed back on the shelf; farmers did not want to pay high prices for the seed, while not being able to sell GE wheat around the world. e science is still out on the safety of GE foods for humans, mainly because the industry keeps their research private. Editors of Scientific American concluded, "Unfortunately, it is impossible to verify that genetically modified crops perform as advertised. at is because agritech companies have given themselves veto power over the work of independent researchers." Human health effects of GE food can include higher risks of toxicity, allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance, and immune-suppression. ose countries that ban GE are enforcing the international law (Cartagena Protocol) Genetic Engineering Genetic Engineering Needs Full Disclosure and In-Depth Study Needs Full Disclosure and In-Depth Study Page 26 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysHealthAndNutrition.com