Thanks to the FDA, You Really Have No Idea What's In Your Food

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Ari LeVaux

Thanks to the FDA, You Really Have No Idea What's In Your Food
An estimated 60 to 70 percent of processed foods contains genetically modified organisms, but unlike 50 other countries, the US doesn't require labeling.

October 7, 2011 |


For years, polls have shown that about 90 percent of Americans support the labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMO). That's about as close to a consensus as you're going to get in this country. But amazingly, in this supposed bastion of freedom and democracy we're denied the fundamental right to know what's in our food -- a right that more than 50 other nations, including China and Russia, offer their citizens.

That's China and Russia, as in the big scary authoritarian countries known for communism, corruption and rampant human rights violations. They're at least doing a better job of trying to look like they care about protecting the freedom to choose what people put in their bodies. In the U.S., it's estimated that 60-70 percent of processed food may contain some GMO, but the food is not required to be labeled. This glaring disconnect between America's purported democratic ideals and the reality of how public agencies like the Food and Drug Administration can knowingly fail its citizens might be about to crumble, says Andrew Kimbrell of the Center For Food Safety.

His organization is part of a broad coalition of groups petitioning FDA for mandatory labeling of GMO-containing foods. Hundreds of other organizations have joined the effort, including consumer advocates, farmers, concerned parents, businesses, environmentalists, food and farming organizations, and members of the health care and faith-based communities. The goal of the coalition, called Just Label It, is to collect enough citizen signatures to its petition that the FDA will have to take action. Or force President Obama to make the FDA act.

There are three reasons why Kimbrell believes that now, despite decades of undue influence of the biotech industry on FDA policy, the agency's GMO armor will crack. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/food/152660/thanks_to_the_fda%2C_you_really_have_no_idea_what%27s_in_your_food/

[Gregorian]

1. Yep. This was in the NYT a few months ago. HIghly important.

When you go under with general anesthetic, where did it come from? Some unregulated, uninspected factory in China? Who knows what's in it. The FDA might as well not even exist. Same with the FCC. And SEC.

[Dokkie]

3. I dont know anybody

who supports the FCC, not one person especially after the whole Janet Jackson fiasco.

[Gregorian]

4. Preserving puritanism, one swear word, one breast at a time.

That was a defining moment.

[BiggJawn]

5. Verizon and AT&T *LUVS* them some FCC

Because their "Boy", "Orange" Julius Genachowski (Barry's BFF) is going to seize all the over-the-air television spectrum and sell it (for cheap) to Verizon and AT&T so they can bring ELECTRICITY (oh, alright, Wireless Broadband) to the rubes out here in Cornfield Land.

Then Orange Julius will get a fat lobbyist job with one or the other or both and never want for anything for the rest of his days.

[saras]

6. I know a handful, but they're all radio techs and hate censorship

In their view, much of the purpose of the FCC - managing and allocating radio spectrum for the greatest public good - was gutted by deregulation and privatization.

The censorship is an unnecessary part of the FCC, and could easily be killed. Whether you agree with their censorship decisions or not (most sane people do not), they made more sense when they were allied with enforcement of the Fairness Doctrine.

[Citizen Worker]

2. Please take the time to sign the petition.

[Bloke 32]

7. Welcome to the Rest of the World, mate!

Genetic engineering, whether one likes it or not!