Many consumers want to know whether their food contains genetically modified ingredients, and some businesses are responding with the help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
That’s as it should be — companies responding to market demand. Washington state voters rightly rejected a 2013 ballot measure requiring front-of-label “warnings” on food that contained genetically modified organisms (GMOs) — even though they are deemed safe by regulatory authorities, scientists and scholars. Completely unnecessary.
The Agriculture Department plans to start verifying companies’ claims that their products are free of those ingredients.
The voluntary program, which companies will pay to use, is a smart alternative to mandating labeling.
Some companies use terms freely without any government oversight or verification, which is why the USDA developing protocols to certify non-GMO foods is welcome.
The Non-GMO Project, an organization that advocates for mandatory labeling, also offers a voluntary verification and labeling program.
Companies are smart to seek and pay for GMO bragging rights to cater to consumers who want those products. Let companies and consumers decide what labels are important to them.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Let market demand solve GMO labeling
