31.12.69

A writer on the West Seattle Blog takes me to task for my column on Initiative 522, which would require mandatory labeling of food from plants that had been genetically engineered.

He writes: ” The writer is hostile to the idea of GMO-food labeling, but I think it’s a useful read, because it reminds me of how weak the argument against I-522 really is. What it amounts to is this: GMO labeling is a hassle for the food industry.”

That is not my argument.

I wrote a column about a hearing at the Legislature on GMO labeling and made some judgments about the arguments I heard. There were people at the hearing from the food industry – James Curry from the Northwest Food Processors, Holly Chisa from the Northwest Grocers Association, and others—who argued that GMO labeling would be a hassle for their industry. I didn’t make that argument.

My argument was that if government is going to force producers to disclose a certain thing on food labels, it ought to have a good reason, probably a health reason. That’s why producers have to have a list of ingredients, calories and vitamins. I think it’s good that those things are on labels (and they should be on all food labels, including some, like beer, that are exempt.

Source: The Seattle Times (blog)

by admin

On the Monday, November 21 edition of Infowars Nightly News, host Mike Adams talks with Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute about its effort to counter the organized attack on organic farming and a new push to allow dangerous chemicals to be considered organic.

http://www.cornucopia.org/

http://www.infowars.com/

http://www.prisonplanet.tv/

http://www.naturalnews.com

Use of Synthetic Preservatives, Genetically Mutated Ingredients and Weak Animal Welfare Standards Headed for Vote by USDA Panel

Cornucopia, WI—The Cornucopia Institute, one of the nation’s leading organic industry watchdogs, is urging members of the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), in formal testimony, to vote to preserve the integrity of Organic Food and farming at its upcoming meeting in Savannah, Georgia.

Some of the hot button issues on the agenda, including using artificial preservatives and genetically modified ingredients, would seem Orwellian to many longtime organic farmers and consumers. The forecasted dustup will be debated by a USDA panel, deeply divided between corporate agribusiness representatives and organic advocates....

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(NaturalNews) Pressure from consumer and non-profit groups to eliminate all forms of "junk" food from public school lunch rooms across America has led the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pursue drastic new food restriction measures that are set to be enacted this summer. According to Reuters , the USDA is poised to ban chips, soda pop, candy bars, and many other sugary, salty, high-fat foods from not only school cafeterias, but also from campus vending machines.

The plan is designed to restrict children's access, as much as possible, to foods that are considered largely unhealthy, and replace these foods with healthier alternatives. And based on a nationwide poll involving more than 1,000 parents, at least 80 percent are supportive of such restrictions, while only 17 percent are opposed.

Conducted by the advocacy group Kids' Safe & Healthful Foods Project , the survey found that more than 80 percent of American adults are concerned about childhood...

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