How on earth, can we have over one million people against GMO products, and to have these products available without proper labelling, or none at all? Since we literally do not know what we are eating in GMO products. Does voting actually mean anything at all anymore?

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Monday, 31/08/2015 18:30

In the United States, foods are labeled according to FDA policy, which requires a label “anytime a food differs from its conventional counterpart in a meaningful way, such as a reduction in nutrients, the introduction of an allergen or even a change in taste or smell.” The purpose of mandatory food labeling is to convey information to consumers about the safety and nutrition of a product. Nearly two decades of science and rigorous global review have demonstrated that GM crops are safe and just as nutritious as their non-GMO counterparts. 

GMO Safety and Labeling

Several experts have also addressed similar questions about GMO labeling on GMO Answers. Greg Conko, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, discusses GMO labeling and the safety of GE ingredients in this response. Here is an excerpt:

“Countless scientific organizations agree that foods that contain GE ingredients are no less safe, no less nutritious and no less healthy than foods that do not. In fact, in some cases, GE ingredients have been shown to be safer, more nutritious or both, so the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require blanket labeling of all GE ingredients. 

The FDA’s policy requires specific labeling if, and only if, the composition of those foods differs significantly from that of their conventional counterparts. Material differences would include, among other things, the introduction of an allergen that is not present in the new variety’s conventional counterpart, a reduction or increase in nutrients or even a change in the product’s taste, smell, texture or expected storage or preparation characteristics.”

Cathy Enright, former executive director for the Council for Biotechnology Information, describes the labeling we do support in this response, she states: 

“When it comes to safeguarding your health and nutrition, we support the mandatory labeling of food, including GMO food, if it raises a safety or health concern, for example, to alert sensitive populations to the potential presence of an allergen.  We also support mandatory labeling of GMO food if there is a change to the food’s composition, nutritional profile, taste or smell, or any other characteristic that would make it different from its conventional counterpart.”

If you feel that your question has not been answered in this response, or if you have additional questions, please ask here.