Growing up your parents always told you, "You are what you eat." While you will not turn into ice cream after you polish off a tub of Ben and Jerry’s, the food you eat is the fuel your body uses to survive and function on a daily basis. If what you eat changes how your body functions and acts, in a sense you are what you eat. Everyone should learn about what they are eating and putting into their bodies, and how this is affecting them.
Lately, there has been a lot of hype in the media regarding food labeling. I have seen the topic come up so many times that I felt the need to read more about it. Currently, there is a bill in the house that, if passed, will take away the FDA’s authority to enforce the labeling of GMOs in food. The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 has been nicknamed the DARK act, meaning Denying Americans the Right to Know.
What are GMOs? GMOs are genetically modified organisms that are present in nearly 80 percent of processed food, according to the Non-GMO Project. GMOs are used in food because they allow the production of foods to be less expensive, and prolong their shelf life.
Are GMOs safe? Well, 60 countries in the world have some type of ban on the production or presence of GMOs in food because they do not consider them to be safe. Research conducted on the safety of GMOs unfortunately was conducted and paid for by the companies who benefit from the sale of these products. This caused the U.S. to approve their presence in foods. Sounds sketchy if you ask me.
The bill sounds like something we should all be interested in supporting, because who doesn't like safe and accurate food labeling? However, the title is very misleading. This bill would put an end to the mandated labeling of GMOs by the FDA, putting this decision in the hands of individual food corporations. Not what you thought it would be about, is it? The repercussions would leave consumers unaware of the exact contents of their food.
Doesn’t sound like accurate food labeling anymore, does it? To clarify, this bill does not have anything to do with the safety and debate regarding whether GMOs should be present in our foods in the first place. It is just regarding whether or not the FDA should continue to mandate the labeling of foods containing GMOs, or leave it up to the discretion of individual food manufacturers whether or not they want to inform their consumers.
While some people may believe it is not that big of a deal if GMOs are not labeled anymore, it is more than that. This bill takes away the consistency and accuracy of your current food labels. Not only will you have no knowledge of GMOs present in your food, your labels are no longer 100 percent accurate, you will be reading what the corporation wants you to know, not what you should know.
It is a scary thought that billion-dollar corporations will be able to decide whether or not to inform their consumers of what is really in their food. Corporations profit from the sale of food containing GMOs. Since GMOs are such a problem for many Americans, chances are they will eliminate them from their labels in order to increase sales. It is business after all. So if you don’t see it on the label it must not be in there, right? Or so you thought.
The issues surrounding GMOs always relate back to health risks. While the health risks are predicted long-term effects of consuming GMOs, they are not confirmed. If someone chooses not to consume foods containing GMOs in order to prevent possible unknown health risks, it should be their decision to do so.
Consumers have the right to know what they are putting into their bodies. Everyone has different diet choices. Some people eat only fried food, some eat only organic. There are vegetarians and vegans, but some people just choose to stay away from GMOs. To each his or her own, but they should not be stripped of their rights to avoid them.
Some people may think, Why should I care? Well, maybe you honestly don’t, and that is okay. But if you take an interest in knowing exactly what you are eating, you should not want to be put in the dark. People who oppose this bill have been considered “radical left group” members, and are ridiculed for their opposition. In reality, they are just people who care about honest labeling. They believe companies should not be able to filter what information they want you to see or hide ingredients.
You have the basic right to know what your food contains and what you are buying, to then make the decision if you want your family to consume the food or not. The government should not be allowed to make this decision for you. Taking away those rights leaves you in the dark on what is in the food you are putting on the table for yourself and your family.
Do you want to live in the dark?
Join the effort and help take a stance against The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, because we all deserve the right to know.
Sign the petition:
https://takeaction.takepart.com/actions/oppose-the...
Help inform your senator on your stance opposing GMOs:
http://action.ewg.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/...
