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ironyak - "I disagree with inferring ingredients - while corn and soy in the US are most likely GMO, the actual variants used do matter. ...... All of these are currently "corn" in the ingredient list. Again, what is the harm in clear labelling?"
my thoughts in response as well to the notion that GMO labeling is unnecessary because we can assume a certain crop is GMO. feels rather circular in it's reasoning and counter to the purpose of listing ingredients in the first place, which is taking the guesswork out of what we ingest as food. plus, the status of the % of crops being GMO could easily change as a result of consumer awareness through labeling itself or any number of other developing factors.
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Ironyak, are you saying you want the specific traits labeled on each product? Even if it's stacked traits? That'd be a fancy label. And why would you care? Just curious.
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Hey rainyjim - in the short term, a simple GMO / non-GMO label can be applied even after packaging, such as when a product enters a state requiring GMO labeling.
In the long term, my preference would be to have ingredients listed as GMO or non-GMO varieties, and then a list of the actual strains present. For instance, my bag of Tortilla Chips would probably read something like this-
Ingredients: GMO-corn, Vegetable Oil (GMO-corn, GMO-canola, and/or Sunflower Oil.) and Salt
GMO-corn = Enogen (3272) and/or Bt Xtra (DBT418)
GMO-canola = Invigor (RF3)
Also, every product should have a batch-code on it so that its specific mix percentage of differing GMO strains could be looked up online. This would help track and sort out contamination issues both for GMO products, such as the Starlink debacle, as well as general food safety issues, such as E. Coli outbreaks.
Remember GMO crops are biotech products unique enough to be protected by a patent - they are not simply "corn" and should not be treated as such. Labeling the differing GMO products is a first step to understanding and tracking their differences, if any, in potential health impacts.
Would you want your ingredient list to just read Fat or clearly spell out the amount of trans-fat, or even a patented fat substitute like Olestra, that is present?
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label can be applied even after packaging, such as when a product enters a state
...instant "interstate commerce" lawsuit in Federal court.
Which is a win, because at least then the issue would be settled, and other states could save the time/money...
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Originally posted by kalakoa
label can be applied even after packaging, such as when a product enters a state
...instant "interstate commerce" lawsuit in Federal court.
As this seems to your focus kalakoa, could you help explain California's proposition 65 and how they, as a state, can mandate specific product labeling beyond the federal requirements?
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California's proposition 65 and how they, as a state, can mandate
California has a large enough tax base to fund lengthy legal battles.
Hawaii can barely manage paved roads.
What should we spend our money on?
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That's a pretty specific label. I hadn't heard of anyone wanting to know the specific traits before. That would probably be very difficult and expensive. Most grains are mixed together before processing. Your desire would necessitate separate storage and separate processing for individual shipments because not all farmers grow the same hybrids but most grain goes to the same sources.
For instance farmer A, B, and C grow corn in 3 different regions. Because of variable environmental conditions in these regions they use different hybrid corn seed with different GE traits.
Producer D buys corn from farmers A, B and C for product E.
Also, keep in mind that producer D can only use A in product E, but can use A, B and C in product F, while only B and C in product G.
Hypothetical obviously, but just to give you an idea of the complexities of storage issues. If it can't all be stored together (mixed).
magnify that by the actual number of farmers and the number of available traits and you have a logistical mess!
I'm not saying it's impossible, but it will incur increased costs on the producer which will only be passed down to the consumer.
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increased costs on the producer which will only be passed down
But the lawsuits and astroturfing are "free", right?
Seriously: this issue is winding its way through multiple States; they should band together and get the Feds to settle the issue once and for all. Agribusiness has plenty of money to drag this out as long as they want, especially since they're probably using the double-Dutch-Irish-sandwich to keep their profits out of the reach of US taxation (after they deduct the "business expense" of lawsuits, of course).
The principle "work smarter, not harder" would seem to apply.
This is before getting to the separate-but-related argument that there is no regulation prohibiting "GMO-free" labeling, nor does anything prevent consumers from choosing those products... why, it's almost as if GMO labeling is really just another wedge issue, like abortion, same-sex marriage, legal/decriminalized marijuana, etc. Neither side wins.
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"Producer D buys corn from farmers A, B and C for product E.
Also, keep in mind that producer D can only use A in product E, but can use A, B and C in product F, while only B and C in product G."
without getting into a back and forth debate involving an increasing myriad of intricate hypothetical details which actual specialists would be exceedingly more qualified to sort out than anyone here, i'm not convinced GMO labeling necessarily has to be so prohibitively complicated and expensive to implement as you make it out to be, Rainyjim. ...certainly not any more so than any number of the countless logistical challenges facing a modern economy with reasonable safeguards in place to inform and protect the consumer.
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How tactful and polite of you. I hope others can learn from your online diplomacy!
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