Obama should uphold his GE labeling pledge

Dear President Obama:

In 2007, you pledged to give consumers the right to know whether their food contains genetically engineered ingredients. National polls show that 93 percent of Americans share your views.

Regardless of age, income, education level or even party affiliation, Americans want the right to choose for themselves. Two state legislatures have already approved GE labeling, and more than 20 other states are considering GE labeling laws.

While we will continue to support state labeling efforts, we believe there should be a national mandatory labeling system. FDA has the authority to require food companies to disclose the presence of these novel new food ingredients, and the agency has already required labeling for more than 3,000 ingredients, additives and food processes.

What’s more, FDA has a duty to act when the absence of labeling would leave consumers confused about the foods they buy. It’s been more than a decade since FDA approved voluntary GE labeling, and consumers are more confused than ever. Allowing responsible companies to voluntarily disclose the presence of GE ingredients is simply not enough.

Mr. President, we urge you to fulfill your commitment to require GE labeling and to add the United States of America to the list of 64 other nations that have given their consumers the right to know what is in their food. In your first President memorandum, you said that transparency is essential for ensuring public trust. We couldn’t agree more.

Sincerely,

PCC Natural Markets