Just Label It! Americans have the right to know what’s in their food – National Consumers League

By Teresa Green, Linda Golodner Food Safety & Nutrition Fellow

Here at NCL we believe that consumers have a basic right to know what is in their food.  Knowing what’s in your food means you can make informed choices about what to eat and what to avoid, a right that is fundamental. Unfortunately, this still isn’t possible in some cases.

Enter genetically engineered (GE) foods. Some see GE foods as “frankenfoods,” a dangerous scientific development that can put our health at risk.  Others see GE foods as the only answer to feeding a growing world population.  Regardless of where you stand on the issue, most people agree about one thing; People have the right to decide whether or not they eat GE foods.

NCL agrees with the 93% of American consumers who say that they want genetically engineered foods to be labeled. The right to choose what you and your family put in your bodies is a basic one. Without labels, it’s impossible to avoid genetically engineered foods unless you eat only organic foods, which not every family wants or can afford to do. Labels would allow consumers to make informed choices about whether or not to feed their family a certain food.  Nearly 50 countries, including the European Union, Australia, Brazil, and China, already have law mandating the labeling of GE foods.

NCL has joined with more than 450 other organizations as part of the Just Label It campaign to urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to mandate the labeling of GE foods. The campaign has issued a petition urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require that all genetically engineered foods be clearly labeled. So far, more than 600,000 people have signed on to the petition.

If you believe that consumers have the right to both know what is in their food and choose what they consume, add your signature to the Just Label It petition and urge the FDA to mandate labeling of GE foods!

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