State GMO labeling laws may lead to deluge of other process-related food labels

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Manufacturers of chocolate, pet food and seafood have been targeted for their failure to disclose on their packaging the existence of forced labor and other possible human-rights violations in foreign countries from which they source their products or product ingredients. . . . One remedy the plaintiffs seek is disclosure of this supply-chain data on product labels and point-of-sale advertising.

. . . .

. . . .Opposing food-industry advocates will argue that government cannot require on-package disclosures of information related solely to the method of production. Passage of state laws mandating “genetically-modified organisms” labeling on foods, however, provides activists with a potent counterargument.

. . . .The federal Food & Drug Administration (FDA) plainly stated, in a response rejecting a petition for mandatory GMO labeling, that federal law “does not require disclosure of the method of production without regard to its effect on the product.” . . . .

But the very type of mandatory, process-related food labeling that FDA found objectionable is now state law in Vermont, and could become law in other states soon. The proliferation of such laws will further energize the supply-chain labeling movement, and inspire demands for innumerable additional disclosures. . .

A manufacturer’s employment practices, environmental record. . . may all be legitimate, subjective concerns to some consumers, but an amorphous “right to know”. . . cannot justify compelled disclosure of normative issues on a food label. If consumers wish to meticulously factor information unrelated to product safety or health into their purchasing decisions, they can find it, just as businesses that perceive a market benefit can make it available voluntarily. But businesses shouldn’t be forced to turn their products into messaging vehicles for ideological causes. . .

Read full, original post: Will Company Cave-Ins On GMO Labeling Inspire Mandatory Disclosure Of Supply-Chain Problems?

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