Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act

[rainyjim]

http://agriculture.house.gov/press-relea...beling-act

It passed in the house,

Please call or write our senators to voice your support:

Senator Mazie Hirono
http://www.hirono.senate.gov/contact
(202) 224-6361

Senator Brian Schatz
http://www.schatz.senate.gov/contact
(202) 224-3934

[kalakoa]

The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Food Safety has criticized the bill as potentially undermining 130 local agricultural laws in 43 states.

Anti-GMO activists have apparently not figured out that this is by design.

[lquade]

thanks for the links. i wrote to both of them. we know what is in our pillows, we want to know what is in our food. if it is safe, then there should be no problem letting us know.

[rainyjim]

To whoever may be curious-

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) is an anti-technology organization that solicits money to fight against agricultture and food technology. CFS is comprised largely of lawyers who have no formal training in either agriculture or food technology. The CFS is not a government organization.

[rainyjim]

Additionally,

GMO is a process, not an ingredient.

We don't include other processes to breed like chemical or radiation based mutagenesis, hybrid-crosses, or somatic embryogensis on labels, however, we do include other ingredients on labels.

Labeling food for one specific process is outside of the realm of our current regulatory labeling regime. This simply amounts to us following our laws.

[Justin]

I have no problem whatsoever with GMO food, but I know many people do. If enough people in a state feel that way, it seems to me that they should be able to require labeling. Having a blanket law covering all states from preventing labeling smacks of Federal over-reach to me. I suppose the Feds believe it is in their wheelhouse because of the "dormant commerce clause" that allows the Federal government to pass laws that would require of commercial entities one thing in one state and another thing in another state (the first case to involve that involved truck mud flaps that were required to be rounded in one state, square in others).

Still, this is just facially dubious. "Pay no attention to the man behind the screen."

[rainyjim]

I think the impetus behind the legislation stems from two sources:

(1) the increased cost mandatory labeling would represent to the consumer (affecting primarily the most poor - as usual)
(2) the basis behind labeling being essentially 'fear-mongering' given the scientific concensus that GE foods are substantially equivalent to their conventional counterparts

[kalakoa]

I think the impetus behind the legislation stems from two sources:

The real reason is that it's simply cheaper and easier to lobby for one national rule than to keep fighting the same battles in every state.

[Ino]

This bill is also known as DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know). Why not promote GE food with a label? The label's already there just add the info. Can't cost that much. Are they afraid of losing sales? Hawaii representatives Gabbard, Ruderman, Hirono has expressed reservations about the bill. GE could be the safest food around. Why not promote the food as GE? Why not label just like they do in China, Russia and 62 other countries;
http://tinyurl.com/mjffecd

Why give up our right to decide locally on food labeling?

This is the Age of Information. The information should just be included. Why not disclose it?

According to a Associated Press AP poll taken in Dec. 2014 66 percent of Americans favor labeling;
http://tinyurl.com/p9tq6oa

[PaulW]

If people think food harvested on the Sabbath is an abomination, should that be included on the label too?
How about we use the label for relevant information only, otherwise we're going to run out of room.