About Contact Us. Learn more Got It. Most recent. Solar Energy. Cost of Solar Panels in What to Expect solar energy. Are Solar Panels Worth It? Our Honest Take solar energy. The 6 Best Antioxidant Supplements of supplements. The best of EcoWatch, right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter! Enter Email Sign Up. By Zen Honeycutt The Senate Ag Committee sent a bill to the Senate floor last week which, if passed, will eliminate mandatory GMO labeling, preempt state rights, go against what 90 percent of American citizens want and require the U.
We call on the Senate to give the American people the freedom to choose their food by voting no on the bill to stop mandatory GMO labeling and give us federal, mandatory, clear labeling on the package. Photo credit: Millions Against Monsanto. EcoWatch Daily Newsletter. Check out our on-demand webinar to learn how networked Specification Management allows teams to create, publish, and update raw material and finished goods specifications in a single networked platform.
Watch it here. Subscribe to our blog. Exclusions include: Foods derived from animals, such as eggs, meat, and milk. Refined ingredients, such as oils and sugars. Food served in a restaurant. With more people to feed, farmers need to grow more food on less land. How can this be done? Many scientists believe agricultural technology — like using genetically modified organisms— is the answer. But, consumer demands for more information and transparency about where their food comes from has generated controversy over whether GMO food products should carry special labels to inform consumers.
A GMO is a plant or animal whose genetic material has been altered in a laboratory so that its DNA contains one or more beneficial genes that do not normally exist. For example, genetic modifications to GMO corn and soybeans have allowed those crops to be less susceptible to disease and pests and more drought tolerant. This reduces the need for chemicals or water for the crop to successfully grow. Genetically modified crops, which primarily include corn, soybeans, canola, and sugar beets, have been grown in the United States for 20 years , and they have FDA approval.
Today, as much as 75 percent of the food Americans buy at their local grocery store, from cereals to soups, include genetically modified ingredients. However, most consumers are not aware that the foods they are eating include these ingredients. Individuals opposed to the use of GMO technology argue that foods produced with GMO ingredients are not safe nor natural and should not be in our food supply.
Many hope that GMO food labels would alert consumers and help them avoid purchasing such items. Proponents for GMO technology, meanwhile, point to over 2, credible scientific studies that indicate that GMO-derived foods are safe.
Some supporters believe GMO food labels are costly and unnecessary , while others advocate for transparency by using labels. This USDA regulation misses the mark in giving consumers the information they need to know about their foods. All food that is genetically engineered should be labeled, regardless of whether the GMO material is detectable, and disclosure statements should be made through labels with clear understandable terms.
The Organic Trade Association thanks its members and the GMO task force for their dedicated time and efforts that informed the comments we submitted on the proposed rule and to safeguard organic as the gold standard for transparency and non-GMO status. Labeling of GMO seed, products grown from GMO seed or stock, or made with ingredients and byproducts of GMO crops is necessary for farmer, supply chain and consumer choice.
That legislation, if enacted, would have created a voluntary standard for labeling products as non-GMO — a standard that is unnecessary, does not solve the problem, and would conflict with the existing organic standard. OTA continues opposes any legislation that does not protect organic certification as the gold standard for a non-GMO claim in the marketplace. OTA also opposes any voluntary labeling solutions.
Both the analysis and our comments incorporate messages the Organic Trade Association comments submitted to USDA in July in response to the 30 questions the agency asked to help inform this proposed rule.
Read our final comments Submitted July and contact Gwendolyn Wyard with questions. In November , FDA released final guidance on voluntary labeling of products containing GMOs — after initially publishing that guidance in draft form in The public comment period lasted until March , although the docket has remained open since then.
Add your voice to shape the future of organic food and farming. Get expert regulatory guidance and consumer education tools. Connect to a vibrant community of organic business professionals. Skip to main content. Search form Search. Contact Media Join Us. Advocacy Advocacy We serve as the unifying voice of the U.
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