Who’s Trying To Keep Americans In The DARK About Food? And Why?

You’ve probably heard about this practice labeled as ?GM? or ?GE,? but in neither case is the abbreviation referring to cars or household appliances. Yet, whether you say ?genetically modified? or ?genetically engineered,? the process is still a sarcastic take on the latter company’s slogan ? GE can bring bad things to life.

And literally, too. Changing the DNA of basic food items in methods that make them protein- and nutrient-deficient ? even adding harmful chemical pesticides to their basic composition ? defeats the principal purpose of consumption. Bad things actually become a genetic part of the living staples we must consume in order to maintain our lives.

(Image source: Liam Wilde via Flickr/modified)
(Image source: Liam Wilde via Flickr/modified)

Making it worse is the fact that the U.S. is one of the few developed nations that doesn’t require GE labeling. Sixty-four countries ? even ?third world? nations like Ethiopia and Kazakhstan ? require labeling of genetically-modified food items packaged for human consumption. An overwhelming majority of the U.S. population (over 90 percent, according to multiple studies and surveys) wants to know of any GE content, though. And given that about 70 percent of processed foods in the U.S. are GE, since the FDA first approved their use about 20 years ago, shouldn’t American consumers have the right to know what they consume, too?

But new legislation would make that information even harder to find. Shortly after Vermont’s legislature introduced (and later passed) a bill calling for GE labels on products in its state’s stores, U.S. Rep. Mike Tompeo (R-Kansas) responded with the misleadingly-titled ?Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act? earlier this year. Currently under review by the House Subcommittee on Health, H.R. 4432 has become more popularly known as the ?DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act? because it would: block state laws?for GE labeling, allow companies to label GE food items as ?natural,? and limit the FDA in any future steps toward labeling, too.

And who’s supporting Tompeo’s ?DARK? efforts? The Grocery Manufacturers Association ? the biggest trade group on the planet, consisting of the same companies that make these genetically-modified food items ? and which only last year informed the FDA that it would petition for use of the ?natural? claim on GE foods. Other laboratory lobbyists like Monsanto (the company credited with 90 percent of all development in genetically-modified organisms) are involved, too. And ? wouldn’t you know it? ? a senior adviser to the FDA (Michael Taylor) just happens to be former vice-president of Monsanto.

While the deck might appear stacked in favor of Tompeo’s bill, there’s a counter-group that’s anted up at the table, too. And ?Just Label It!? ? a non-profit group formed in 2012 to promote GE awareness ? is ready to call the bluff about GE food products. With over 700 business and organization members, ?Just Label It!? is actively spreading the word about this latest ?DARK? news, including the creative video you can see below.

The group could use more public help, though. A petition on the ?Just Label It!? site is just about 100,000 shy of its 1.5 million goal, for example (click here to join the cause). Sharing this article and video could help, too.

Getting the word out about not just this ?DARK Act,? but about the general field of GE foods, as well, seems necessary of late. While over 90 percent of Americans recognize the need for GE labeling, a majority don’t?know of the tricks corporations are?already pulling on this subject.

Take the information offered by ?Just Label It!? member Scott Faber on Dec. 10, when he spoke before the House Subcommittee on Health.

?A recent survey by NMI found that 58 percent of respondents believed that ?natural? foods are GMO-free. A similar survey for by Consumer Reports? found that 64 percent of respondents believed that ?natural? foods are GMO-free. Currently, FDA policy does not explicitly prohibit the use of genetically modified ingredients in foods labeled as ?natural.? Many so-called ?natural products? recently tested by Consumer Reports contained GMOs.

A modest disclosure on the back of food packages will not only give consumers basic information about what’s in their food and how it was produced but will also cure the consumer confusion caused by the widespread use of misleading claims like ?natural.??

U.S. consumers not only want this labeling, but need it, too.

What’s your opinion on GMs, GEs, and DARK? Share it on?the Liberal America Facebook page!?Sign up for our?free daily newsletter to receive more great stories like this one.

Watch the video below.

 


GROCE

Rob Groce is a Blue Progressive residing in the Red State of South Carolina. In between his regular work of marketing research and public relations, Rob serves on the Executive Committee of his state’s Democratic Party, was even once a last-minute congressional candidate, and writes about sociopolitical topics for Liberal America and other news sites.

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.