Customers pushing for #GMO in labeling in WA state - Labeling supporters say GMOs raise health and environmental concerns because (ALL) are designed to withstand weed-killing herbicides. They also say not enough (independent, long term) research has been made public about the plants.
BELLINGHAM, WA — Before Stephen Trinkaus slapped “GMO Alert!” labels on dozens of products in his Bellingham grocery store, he asked customers what they wanted.
The choices were: do nothing, label products that contain genetically modified ingredients (GMO means genetically modified organisms) or get rid of the items altogether.
Customers overwhelmingly chose labels, which began appearing on Terra Organica and Bargainica's shelves in March.
Terra Organica, which occupies half of an old Safeway, boosts Bellingham’s status as an epicenter of GMO awareness.
The city also is home to the Non-GMO Project, thought to be the most prominent U.S. certifier of non-GMO foods.
Theresa Eisenman, an FDA spokeswoman, said, “While the consultation process is voluntary, compliance with the law is not; it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure that its food products are safe and comply with applicable requirements.
The goal of FDA’s evaluation during the consultation process is to ensure that food-safety issues or other regulatory issues are resolved prior to commercial distribution.”
Although the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others(?) are working on GMO crops with heightened nutritional benefits, those now in production are modified to resist certain pesticides and herbicides. That means the crop will not die when sprayed with the herbicides and pesticides, but everything else — namely, weeds (insects, bees) — will.
Customers pushing for GMO in labeling in state | Local News | The Seattle Times
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