GMOs, or genetically modified organisms in foods, is one of those issues that people either care passionately about, or don’t care about at all.
“So many people have no clue about what it is,” said Tom Conboy, a West Palm Beach environmental engineer who is among those working to make GMO labeling mandatory in Florida.
Conboy said that when people learn more, most agree that foods containing genetically modified ingredients should be labeled or think that GMOs should not be allowed.
A genetically engineered food is a plant or meat product that has had its DNA artificially altered in a laboratory by genes from other plants, animals, viruses, or bacteria, in order to produce foreign compounds in that food. This type of genetic alteration is not found in nature, and is experimental. The correct scientific term is “transgenics,” and is also often referred to as GE — genetically engineered, according to LabelGMOs.org.
An example is genetically modified corn that has been engineered in a laboratory to produce pesticides in its own tissue. GMO corn is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as an insecticide, but is sold unlabeled.
Some people prefer to consume foods that are free of GMOs, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require labels to include GMO information. However, the federal Genetically Engineered Right-to-Know Act, which proposes requiring such labeling, was introduced in April and is pending.
More than 60 countries with over 40 percent of the world’s population already label genetically engineered foods, including the entire European Union and even China.
GMO/GE foods have been on the market since 1996. Many Americans may not know that about 70 percent of processed foods on grocery store shelves contain ingredients that have been genetically engineered.
But the controversy surrounding GMOs — sometimes referred to as a concern of only “crazy moms and environmentalists” — has been in the forefront lately, as more and more states pass laws requiring the labeling of foods containing GMO ingredients.
Conboy and several hundred other local residents have participated in two Marches Against Monsanto that were held in May and on July 20 on the downtown West Palm Beach waterfront.
The next March Against Monsanto is planned for Oct. 12 at 2 p.m.
Monsanto is targeted because the company specializes in producing genetically engineered seeds and herbicides like Roundup. Approximately 80 percent of the corn and 93 percent of the soybeans in the U.S. are grown from Monsanto-patented seeds, which form the basis of most processed food products in grocery stores, according to advocacy group Food & Water Watch
The push for a GMO labeling law failed in Florida this year.
“In Europe you have strict labeling laws,” Conboy said. “They are already putting labels on foods, even on fruits.”
The label could easily include GMO information, Conboy said. Food companies already know which foods contain GMO and which don’t because companies must meet export requirements for Europe.
Although it has not been proven that foods containing GMOs are harmful, it hasn’t been proven they are not harmful either, Conboy said.
Recently, Greek yogurt company Chobani has been petitioned by a national coalition which has asked the New York-based manufacturer to stop marketing its products as “healthy” and “natural” until it switches to verified non-bioengineered milk sources. G.M.O. Inside says the company uses milk from cows that are likely fed bioengineered ingredients.
Chobani responded in a statement that “GMO is complex and weighs on the balance of our commitments, particularly affordability, as non-GMO ingredients are fewer and more costly. We are in the infancy of exploring how we as a company, together with our suppliers, will navigate this important issue. We have never made claims that our products are GMO-free.”
In another development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a non-GMO label for meat and liquid egg products. This label can be voluntary used by producers to show that their products are not made from animals which consumed genetically-modified feed.
In June Chipotle Mexican Grill became the first national restaurant chain to label its GMO ingredients and said it has made progress toward its goal of removing those ingredients from its offerings.
Lake Worth resident Carole Fields sums up why she wants mandatory GMO labeling.
“We are all upset with the corporations that have taken over our food system. They are all about money. They are about the bottom line. They are not going to label it unless we push for it,” Fields said.
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