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Megan Hovey

Public Policy Paper


Current Issues Fall 2016
The Continuous Battle on GMO Labeling
GMO labeling has become a current public policy in America. Societys concern for the
health factors in GMO products has developed into a popular concern. GMO stands for
genetically modified organism. Foods made with GMOs contain bioengineered or genetically
modified organism ingredients. Oftentimes companies choose to genetically modify their
product to have it withstand pesticides (Puckett, 2016). As Americans, we have been consuming
GMOs for decades now. There is a large percentage of the public that is unaware of what GMO
means. They are being swayed one way or the other by news, media and advertising. The World
Health Organization (WHO) states the safety of GMO foods is assessed by its effect on health,
its potential to provide an allergic reaction, its specific nutritious components, and lastly what
effects the genetic modification has on the nutrition of the food. WHO also states that the GMO
foods that are available on the market today are not a present risk for human health as they have
passed all safety assessments (Puckett, 2016).
Since 2001, companies have been allowed to make voluntary non-GMO labels on their
products, but it hasnt been as efficient as advocates wished for (Just Label It, 2016). Vermont
was the first state, in 2014, to require mandatory GMO labeling. This in turn decreased the
selection of foods and products available to Vermont residents. Unfortunately many
manufacturers chose to stop selling their foods and products to Vermont versus complying with
Vermonts new GMO labeling law (Fama, 2016). Following Vermonts footsteps, additional
states such as Connecticut and Maine have now passed GMO labeling laws (Just Label It, 2016).
In 2015, prior to the new law being passed this summer, two Representatives had introduced
a federal legislation that was developed by food companies in response to various states
developing their own GMO labeling laws. Consumers, that are pro GMO labeling, are calling it
The DARK (Deny Americans the Right-to-Know) Act that is also referred to as the anti-GMO
labeling bill (Just Label It, 2016). Pro-labeling advocates believe majority of Americans (90%)
support packaged labeling on GMO food and trust that GMO labeling will not increase food
prices (Just Label It, 2016). Advocates for DARK Act are implying politics are trying to cover
up products that contain GMO ingredients. There are consumers that are very passionate about

knowing what they are eating, and they have the right to know what is in their food. While I
might be against the GMO labeling bill, I do see a valid point on this argument.
On July 29, President Barack Obama signed a bill amending the Agricultural Marketing Act
of 1946 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a national disclosure standard for
bioengineered foods (Fama, 2016, p.1). The Secretary of Agriculture will have two years to
create the rules for this labeling law. This new law will establish the framework for labeling
GMO foods. It will enforce companies to show consumers if their products contain GMO, by
labels, symbols or digital links (such as a QR code that can be scanned). The secretary, however,
is the one to determine the specific amount of substances in the foods that would require the
labeling. To avoid any confusion or competition, this new federal law will overturn all other
GMO labeling laws specific to states making it a uniform labeling standard for all states (Fama,
2016).
According to All Things Considered on NPR, Charles states that this new law is providing
the public with the information they desire to make sure their values are mirrored in what they
are spending (Charles, 2016). On the opposing side of the DARK Act advocates, food
companies and farm groups are convinced pro-labeling groups are going to use this law to drive
consumers away from GMO products and food. There will be faults with this law such as GMO
containing foods are presumed to increase in cost and the possibility of class action lawsuits due
to incorrect GMO labeling by manufacturers. There are also specific details that will still need to
be worked out by the Secretary of Agriculture. These include, for instance, whether refined
products like soy oil or sugar from beets will need to be labeled. While they are made from GMO
crops, the final product doesn't contain any genetically modified material, such as proteins or
DNA (Charles, 2016, 1).
GMO labeling for the very near future can suggest that those foods are unsafe to
consume, which is not true. This can be a major concern for future Registered Dietitians
counseling patients or individuals working in the health field, as patients will be fearful of foods
to purchase at the grocery store that are otherwise very healthy to eat. You can still eat a very
healthy diet with products that contain GMOs; the label on them will only deter customers away
from these nutrient dense foods. It can quite possibly make shopping at the grocery store or
market a very confusing process, which is not ideal. Overall, this can potentially cause an
unwarranted alarm for consumers trying to live a healthy lifestyle. There are a ton of foods on

the market today that contain GMOs that are extremely healthy for us that provide vitamins,
minerals and antioxidants. It would be a shame to put fear in consumers minds when they see a
carrot or an apple with a GMO label attached to it. Another issue, as mentioned before, would be
the cost of the GMO foods increasing. Families grocery bills are high enough as it is, it would
be detrimental for it to get even worse because of GMO labeling.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states labeling isnt necessary because there is
no difference in GMO foods than non-GMO foods (Charles, 2016). As mentioned in Food
Safety News there appears to be little to no scientific need for the labeling requirements
mandated by the new federal law, and there are no tangible benefits derived from the anticipated
increases in food prices (Fama, 2016, p.1). I believe there is a large misconception of the safety
of GMOs. There seems to be little evidence to imply that the new labeling law will have positive
effects on the safety of the nations food supply.

References:
Charles, D. (2016, July 14). Congress just passed a GMO labeling bill. Nobodys super happy
about it. NPR All Things Considered. Interview retrieved from
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/07/14/486060866/congress-just-passed-a-gmolabeling-bill-nobodys-super-happy-about-it
Fama, R. (2016). The new GMO labeling law: A matter of perspective. Food Safety News.
Retrieved from http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2016/09/the-new-gmo-labeling-law-a
matter-of-perspective/#.WCitff0qtuZ
Just Label It. (2016). Senator Stabenow and Senator Roberts GMO Labeling Legislation.
Retrieved from http://www.justlabelit.org/dark-act/

Puckett, L. (2016, April 20). Why the new GMO food-labeling law is so controversial. [Blog
Teen Vogue]. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/teen-vogue/why-the-newgmo-foodlabel_b_9738698.html

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