Arguments Against Mandatory Labeling

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Recently, a controversy about mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms has taken place all over the United States. While the production, sale, and consumption of genetically modified foods (GMOs) is controversial regardless; most Americans believe GMO food should be labeled because we have a right to know what is in our food. However, opponents such as corporations and the United States Congress believe labeling GMOs would often be perceived as a warning. What are GMOs? According to the World Health Organization genetically modified (GM) foods are “foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism.…show more content…
Proponents agree that not enough scientific research and evidence has been conducted to prove GMOs are safe to consume. “In the United States, government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale.” (The Non-GMO Project) In an evidence-based examination of the claims made for the safety and efficacy of genetically modified crops and foods by the Non-GMO Project exclaimed: “Published reviews that evaluate studies assessing the safety and hazards of risky products or technologies have shown that industry-sponsored studies, or studies where authors are affiliated with industry, are much more likely to reach a favorable conclusion about the safety of the product than studies carried…show more content…
“Enacted in 2013, Connecticut’s Act Concerning the Labeling of Genetically-Engineered Food provides that certain food items are misbranded unless labeled as “Produced with Genetic Engineering.” These foods include wholesale and retail food, raw agricultural commodities, and seeds or seed stock that are, or may have been, at least partially produced by GE. In 2014, Maine enacted Act to Protect Maine Food Consumers’ Right to Know about Genetically Engineered Food and Seed Stock, which requires any GE food or seed stock to be labeled as “Produced with Genetic Engineering.” GE foods that do not follow this requirement are subject to sanctions for misbranding. The act exempts restaurants, alcoholic beverages, and medical food from these labeling requirements. Enacted in 2014, Vermont’s Act Relating to the Labeling of Food Produced With Genetic Engineering requires food that was produced either entirely or partially by GE to be labeled as such. Labeling may include the phrases: “partially produced with genetic engineering,” “may be produced with genetic engineering,” or “produced with genetic engineering.” The act also prohibits manufacturers from labeling the food as “natural” if produced entirely or in part from GE. Foods exempted from these requirements include alcoholic beverages, processed food with GE materials that do not account for more
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