Fact: GMO's have not been proven safe, and the long-term health risks on humans of genetically modified foods have not been adequately investigated.
We have a Right to Know What's in our Food
We Currently Eat Genetically Engineered Food, But Don’t Know It
A genetically engineered food is a plant or meat product that has had its DNA artificially altered in a laboratory by genes from other plants, animals, viruses, or bacteria, in order to produce foreign compounds in that food. This type of genetic alteration is not found in nature, and is experimental. The correct scientific term is "transgenics," and is also often referred to as (GE) genetically engineered.
Example: Genetically Modified corn has been engineered in a laboratory to produce pesticides in its own tissue. GMO Corn is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as an Insecticide, but is sold unlabeled. [
EPA Pesticides]
The Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods Are Unclear
Unlike the strict safety evaluations required for the approval of new drugs, the safety of genetically engineered foods for human consumption is not adequately tested.
There have been NO long-term studies conducted on the safety of genetically engireed foods on humans.
The issue of GM food safety was first discussed at a meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and biotech representatives in 1990. The "substantial equivalence" concept was proposed in early 1996. The adoption of the concept of substantial equivalence allowed permission to market and sell new foods without any safety or toxicology tests as long as they were not too different in chemical composition to foods already on the market. [FDA GRAS proposal] To decide if a modified product is substantially equivalent, the product is tested by the manufacturer for unexpected changes in a limited set of variables such as toxins, nutrients or allergens that are known to be present in the unmodified food. If these tests show no significant difference between the modified and unmodified products, then no further food safety testing is required.
Much of the World Already Requires Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods
50 countries with over 40% of the world’s population already label genetically engineered foods, including the entire European Union. Even China labels genetically engineered foods. California should lead on this important issue. What do these countries know that we don't?
A Simple Proposition for California in 2012
The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act is simple: The initiative would simply require food sold in retail outlets to be labeled if it contains genetically engineered ingredients.
Just Like Nutrition Facts
We didn’t use to label foods with calorie or nutritional value information, but we do now, and most consumers use this information every day. The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act simply requires food producers to also label food that contains genetically engineered ingredients.
No Cost to Consumers or Food Producers
The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act will have no cost impact on consumers or food producers. It simply adds a label to genetically engineered food. Companies change their labeling all the time. In an large advance poll, 75%+ of Californians said they would vote for Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods! If this initiative passes, it will be a huge step towards the transparency people deserve. Once people KNOW what is in their food, they can then make the informed choice to avoid the potential health risks of GMOs until more research on their long-term effects can be done.
