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GE labelling bill



Rick - 

Recently you wrote:

<<A friend of mine, who works with the Wisconsin Greens, asked me if 
there is an FDA sponsored bill that would prohibit labeling of food 
products as "not genetically engineered?"

<<Does anyone have insight into this?  Thanks

I sent out some emails to find out more and got this in reply, which I'm
forwarding to you and others on the list.

Best regards - 

Patricia Dines

--- FORWARD ---
From: INTERNET:Purefood@aol.com, INTERNET:Purefood@aol.com
To: Patricia Dines, 73652,1202
Date: Sun, May 18, 1997, 3:42 AM
Subject: Re: Question - GE labelling bill

Action Alert: Congressional Attack on Consumers' Right to Know Regarding
Genetically Engineered Foods, Bovine Growth Hormone, and "Cruelty Free"
Cosmetics

Ronnie Cummins, Pure Food Campaign
Tel. 218-226-4164 or 218-226-4155  Fax 218-226-4157
email: alliance@mr.net       http://www.geocities.com/athens/1527
May 12, 1997

Members of Congress are expected to reintroduce this spring in the House
Commerce Committee a so-called "FDA Reform" bill, H.R. 1411, which--among
its
provisions--will attempt to undermine consumers' rights to know what has
been
done to food products, animal drugs, and cosmetics. Specifically, "national
labeling uniformity" provisions in "section 28" of the forthcoming "Drug
and
Biological Products Modernization Act of 1997" will make it nearly
impossible
for consumers to know whether food has been genetically engineered or not,
whether toxic pesticides and other carcinogenic residues remain on food
products, and whether cosmetics have been produced in an animal "cruelty
free" manner. The bill, co-sponsored by 138 members of the House of
Representatives in 1996 in the form of a similar bill, H.R 3200, would
outlaw
local and state "rBGH-free" labeling and advertising and make it all but
impossible to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods
and
crops. Section 28 basically prevents states or local legislative bodies
from
initiating labeling laws relating to food safety, genetically engineered
foods or "cruelty free" cosmetics. 

Critics point out that H.R. 1411 appears to be yet another manifestation of
the new global economic order under the GATT agreements, whereby local,
state, and national laws in regard to food safety, genetic engineering,
pesticides, and disclosure of food or cosmetic production methods (and
other
crucial issues) are eliminated or weakened in order to facilitate the rapid
penetration and monopolization of global markets by giant transnational
corporations--in this case multinational chemical, factory farm,
biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics firms. This type of
anti-consumer right to know legislation becomes necessary for industry as
consumer alarm over genetic engineering, factory farming, food safety,
cloning, and animal cruelty intensifies. A 1997 industry poll found 93% of
American consumers demanding mandatory labeling of genetically engineered
foods, and 54% desiring organic production methods. Similar polls have
found
80% of consumers expressing concern about food safety and pesticide
residues,
with 66% opposed to the cloning of animals. Consumers demanding animal
"cruelty free" cosmetics, foods, and "dolphin safe" tuna have likewise had
a
major impact in the marketplace. 

The Pure Food Campaign has begun working with consumer activists and public
interest organizations across the U.S. to demand that "section 28"
regarding
"national uniformity" consumer labeling be removed from H.R. 1411. Citizens
are urged to contact their state legislators (whose powers to enact
pro-consumer food safety and "cruelty free" labeling laws will be taken
away)
and federal Representatives and Senators to demand a written guarantee that
they will not support any bill with language or provisions that would
eliminate or reduce consumer choice in labeling. While contacting
legislators, people are also urged to point out that it is outrageous that
the FDA is not requiring national mandatory labeling of rBGH and all
genetically engineered foods, since this is what 93% of the population
wants.

If you want to organize a grassroots lobbying campaign in your area, please
contact the PFC. We will try to put you in contact with others in your
region
who share your concerns. And finally, as we kill the anti-consumer
provisions
of this bill, we must begin to build a mass movement for mandatory labeling
of all gene-foods, and mandatory disclosure of all relevant production
methods and country of origin information for food, fiber, animal drugs,
cosmetics, and other consumer products.###