The Food and Drug Administration does not require clear identification and labeling of food products made with genetically engineered plants. Most consumers want that to change. Some 93 percent of respondents to a New York Times survey in January 2013 said they wanted genetically modified ingredients identified, even though only about half said they would avoid G.M.O. products.
Vermont this month became the first state to require labeling of G.M.O. foods. Food producers and developers of genetically modified plants and seeds are pushing a federal bill that would bar states from requiring labeling. They insist the ingredients are safe and say there is no need for labels.
“Labeling space is very limited, and mandatory labeling would create an unnecessary stigma,” said Claire Parker, spokeswoman for the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, which represents businesses and organizations opposed to G.M.O. labeling.
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Advocates of labeling point out that the F.D.A. has elaborate disclosure requirements for all kinds of foods. “The F.D.A. decided that the difference between fresh peas and frozen peas was a ‘material’ difference to the consumer,” said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union, which supports labeling of genetically modified foods. “This stuff is as different as frozen peas and nonfrozen peas, if not more so.”
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