Consumers have spoken loud and clear : If it ’ s genetically altered , then just label it .
Polls back that up , including one conducted by ABC News , in which 93 percent of U . S . consumers said the federal government should require labels on goods saying whether it ’ s been genetically modified or “ bio-engineered .”
Truth is , consumers want to know what ’ s in their food , saying NO to GMOs in force — casting their votes with their food dollars .
For example , the Non-GMO Project Verified seal is the fastest-growing seal in the Natural Products Industry . In 2015 , 34,000 products representing $ 13.5 billion in annual sales had the Non-GMO Project Verified seal on the label , states the Non-GMO Project . Additionally , Certified USDA Organic products , in which GMOs are prohibited , grew 11 percent to $ 39 billion in annual sales .
Fortunately , it appears that the DARK Act is dead , and the “ lame duck ” Congress will make it extremely difficult for the Grocery Manufacturers and other biotech companies to pass anything new preventing Vermont from forcing companies to start labeling GM foods .
That is a huge victory for the Non-GMO movement , but the fight ’ s not over . As with the Frankenfish GE salmon that ’ s been waiting to get approved for human consumption for nearly 20 years — and just did — it ’ s a relentless battle to be fought at every front over the long haul .
That ’ s the only way “ Just Label It ” will win .
Just Label It , the DARK Act and the Future of Labeling GM Foods
The genetically engineered salmon has been waiting to be approved for almost 20 years , and the battle whether or not to label genetically modified ( GM ) food is constant , ever-changing and continues to be addressed from both sides .
For those who want to see food companies “ Just Label It ,” there ’ s no turning back and no giving up until there ’ s full transparency about what ’ s in our food . So , if the food has been genetically modified in any way , there needs to be a label to tell consumers that the product is GM — a mandatory actual label or symbol clearly stating it is GM , not a voluntary “ SmartLabel ,” a QR code that can be scanned only by smartphones , suggested by the food industry in place of an actual word label . ( Advocates of labeling GM foods call the “ Smart ” label an acronym for Still Messing Around Rejecting Transparency .)
Whether to actually label a product or just put a QR code on it has been a burning issue in our government recently as well as something called The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act , also known as the Deny Americans the Right to Know ( DARK ) Act by those who want to see GM food labeled .
If the DARK Act is passed , among other things , it would negate all existing GMO labeling laws , including Vermont ’ s set to go into effect in July , requiring companies to begin labeling their foods that are genetically modified . ( Vermont ’ s not alone ; other states are pushing to enact GM labeling requirements .) The DARK Act also contains language that would overrun current and pending local GM labeling laws in place and stifle new ones from taking their place . In short , it would take local control over GMOs away from citizens .
Consumers have spoken loud and clear : If it ’ s genetically altered , then just label it .