This November, voters in Washington state will decide on citizens’ ballot initiative I-522 which would require mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients. The initiative embraces the spirit of California’s Prop 37 initiative, which was narrowly defeated last year following a campaign which saw the $8.7 million in donations raised by supporters of the bill nearly matched by Monsanto’s $8.1 million contribution to the $45.6 million opposition campaign. Pepsico, Inc, owners of the Frito-Lay brand, spent $2,145,400 to keep California residents in the dark about GMO ingredients in their products.
In anticipation of another massive campaign by Monsanto and the biotech industry, Zack Kaldveer and Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association dispute biotech’s favorite talking point: That labeling would be burdensome and costly, and lead to higher food costs for consumers.
From the OCA analysis Why Labels on Genetically Engineered Foods Won’t Cost Consumers a Dime:
Playing to consumers’ fears of higher food costs makes good strategic sense, especially in tough economic times. But the argument doesn’t hold water, say food manufacturers and retailers who already have systems in place for verifying non-GMO...The system involves using chain-of-custody, legally binding affidavits, not expensive testing.
The beauty of the affidavit system is that it offers retailers and manufacturers a simple, easy way to comply with a regulatory model that provides consumers with the right to know what’s in their food without increasing grocery costs…
Read the whole article, and more on the GMO labeling debate, at OrganicConsumers.org. And rest assured, at Whale Tails Tortilla Chips, we will never have to put a GMO label on our products, because we use only natural, organic, kosher, gluten-free,non GMO ingredients.
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