Boudinot 1

Koryna Boudinot
Mr. Davis
Government 1
20 October 2015
Food Labeling
Even if you are conscious of the food you eat, you have almost definitely eaten a food
that has been genetically modified. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism
whose genetic structure has been altered by adding a gene that will express a desirable trait, most
often to improve a crops nutritional qualities or to make a crop resistant to herbicides (Ralston
2). The first GMO foods were introduced in America in 1994, however, they were shortly
removed from the market in 1998 due to consumer concerns (Bruening 4). Negative health
impacts have not been scientifically proved or disproved, however many consumers believe that
they should still have a right to know what is in their food. Mandatory labeling of genetically
modified foods has been proposed under a variety of initiatives at national and state levels but
has not yet been implemented in the United States (Byrne). More than 40 countries already label
GMO foods, including those in the European Union, as well as India and China (Chu). All
genetically modified food should be labeled to protect public health, to prevent labeling from
being false or misleading and to support sustainable local agriculture.
It is the governments job to protect the people of its nation from harm, yet today this
does not seem to be entirely true. GMOs are regulated by three federal agencies: The US
Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When it comes to public health, the FDA is involved in
regulating the safety of GMOs. In 1992, under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the

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FDA defined most genetically modified crops as substantially equivalent to non-GMO crops
(FDA). In doing so, it became known that GMOs were generally recognized as safe even though
extensive research was not done. For this reason, the FDA does not require labeling of GMOs
which could have devastating impacts in the future. Very little is known about the potential
long-term health effect of any GMO food and this situation is compounded by the wide genetic
variability in human populations (Safety Assessment). Although there is not much known of
the effects of GMO foods, there have been no preventative measures taken, even as simple as
labeling. It is difficult to measure the effects of GMO food versus unfavorable conventional
foods such as those containing high levels of saturated fat or simple sugars (Ralston 3). Almost
all fast food and processed foods contain GMO oil or corn products. For this reason it is nearly
impossible to determine whether the adverse health effects of unhealthy foods are due to fat and
sugars or to GMO, or both. By requiring that all modified foods be labeled, regardless of the
possible long-term health effects, the citizens of America would be able to make better decisions
regarding the food they eat.
Whether or not GMO foods are good or bad, if GMOs are present in a food product, it
should be clearly labeled as so. Consumers report an increased interest in consuming healthy
food but concurrently evidence an inability to determine a foods healthfulness based on food
labels (Pomeranz). It is nearly impossible for someone to know whether or not a food is
genetically modified. The FDA only requires labeling of GMOs if a food contains a known
toxicant that exceeds tolerable limits, if the nutritional properties of the food have been
significantly altered or if an allergen is present that consumers would not expect based on the
name of the product (Ralston 2). Although there are organizations such as the non-GMO

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project which verify some products, consumers are mostly unaware of the GMO contents of
most foods. The FDA only requires that labels are "truthful and not misleading (Lee) yet by not
labeling GMOs, the labeling will never be truthful.
The American food system is run by several large corporations who have great influence
over the government, including the FDA. Although GMO-labeling laws have come to Congress
several times, those bills have been rejected by many politicians who are connected to industrial
food corporations. Monsanto, a leading producer of GM seeds and the weedkiller Roundup, has
threatened to sue states that pass food labeling laws (Cho). Such huge companies influence and
control within government has had devastating impacts on the continued efforts to pass
GMO-labeling laws. As of 2011, about 88 percent of all corn and 94 percent of all soybeans
produced in the country were grown from genetically engineered seeds, according to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (Chu). Due to the fact that almost all processed foods contain some
sort of corn syrup, corn starch or corn products, it can be deduced that nearly all highly processed
food contains GMO. Currently, just three companies (Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta), all of
which are in the GM seed business, control 53 percent of the global commercial seed market
(Cho). This is detrimental to local sustainable farms which used to be a large source of good-old
un-genetically modified produce. Although one might be able to find non-GMO fruits and
vegetables at a farmers market on Sunday, due to the fact that nearly all big-brand supermarket
food is controlled by just a few huge corporations, it is likely that all processed foods contain
unlabeled GMOs.
There are many people who oppose GMO labeling for a variety of reasons. Kathy
Fairbanks, spokeswoman for the Coalition Against the Deceptive Food Labeling Scheme, claims

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GMO labeling would force families to pay hundreds of dollars more in higher food prices,
would cost millions in government bureaucracy, and would not provide any health and safety
benefits (Dahl). Due to the fact that no GMO labeling laws have been passed in any state, the
economic impacts are still unknown. Therefore, there is no data that shows that grocery bills
would increase if GMO labeling was to be mandated. Some argue that labeling of GMOs will
make GM food less attractive to some consumers (Zilberman). However, this has not been
proven to be true. Many of these anti-labeling views are made by people involved in the
mainstream agribusiness, grocery industry, and biotech industry who would bear the cost of
implementing new labeling.
The modern-day American consumer has been stripped of their ability to make informed
decisions regarding the food they are buying. All food products containing GMOs should be
labeled to protect human health, prevent mislabeling and support sustainable agriculture.
Unfortunately, with government under the influence of companies like Monsanto it is unlikely
that GMO food products will be labeled in the near future. It is important for Americans as
consumers to become educated about the Americas twisted industrialized food system.

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Works Cited
P. Byrne, D. Pendell, G. Graff. Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods. Colorado State
University, 02 March. 2015. Web. 17 Sep. 2015.
<http://cls.casa.colostate.edu/transgeniccrops/labeling_fact_sheet.pdf>
Chu, Louise. Genetically Modified Food Labeling Through the Lens of Public Health. University
of California San Francisco, 05 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Sep.
<https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2012/11/13058/genetically-modified-food-labeling-throughlens-public-health>
Pomeranz, Jennifer. LITIGATION TO ADDRESS MISLEADING FOOD LABEL CLAIMS AND
THE ROLE OF THE STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL. Regent University Law. Web.
2015. 24 Sep. 2015.
<http://www.regent.edu/acad/schlaw/student_life/studentorgs/lawreview/docs/issues/v26
n2/11_Pomeranz_vol_26_2.pdf>
Lee, Jolie. What you need to know about GMOs. USA Today, 03 Feb. 2014. Web. 24 Sep. 2015.
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/01/03/gmo-genetically-modified
-organism-facts-cheerios/4302121/>
Cho, Renee. The Intensifying Debate Over Genetically Modified Foods. Columbia University, 05
May. 2013. Web. 24 Sep. 2015.
<http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/07/30/the-intensifying-debate-over-genetically-modifi
ed-foods/>
R. Ralston, B. Kidd. The Impact on Human Health of Genetically Modified Organisms in Foods.
Ohio State University, 2001. Print. 20 Oct. 2015.

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G. Bruening, J.M. Lyons. The Case of The FLAVR SAVR Tomato. University of California
Agriculture. N.P., 2000. Print.
Safety assessment of foods derived from genetically modified microorganisms: Report of a Joint
FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Foods Derived from Biotechnology. Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 28 Sep. 2001. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.fao.org/3/a-ae585e.pdf>
Dahl, Richard. To Label or Not to Label: California Prepares to Vote on Genetically Engineered
Foods. Environmental Health Perspectives. N.P., N.D., Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
<http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/120-a358/>
Zilberman, David. The Logic and Consequences of Labeling Genetically Modified Organisms.
Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, University of California. N.d., Web. 20
Oct. 2015.
<http://giannini.ucop.edu/media/are-update/files/articles/V15N5_2.pdf>