Republican Representative Mike Pompeo (Kansas) has introduced the “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act”. The bill would prevent a number of states from requiring genetically modified foods (GMOs) be labeled as such.
If the bill should pass, only ingredients that are suspected of presenting a potential health or safety risk would be required to be reported on labeling.
Pompeo believes that the labeling is largely unnecessary, according to RawStory, as the GMO foods are equally as safe as natural foods. The companies that produce the foods also claim that they are safe.
“It has to date made food safer and more abundant,” said Pompeo. “It has been an enormous boon to all of humanity.”
However, Pompeo is engaging in a bit of selective recall as a number of studies have shown connections between GMOs and health complications in humans and animals. Not to mention the potential ecological dangers posed by GMO crops.
Many consumer and environmental groups have raised concerns over the dangers that genetically modified crops pose to existing natural vegetation.
It is common that these crops must be weed-killer resistant or, what is known as, “Roundup ready” to withstand the use of Monsanto’s weed killer. Food safety and public health watch groups are not so convinced.
Pompeo’s bill is drawing fire as trying to make law of a broken and voluntary labeling system. Scott Faber, senior vice-president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group has said, “Americans overwhelmingly want the right to know whether there are GE ingredients in their food.”
The bill, despite having support from a wide group of businesses, is not expected to survive and be passed through the Senate.
Joshua is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. You can follow him on Twitter @Joshual33.
