Pennsylvania Introduces Bill Requiring GMO Labels
Pennsylvania may be the first of all U.S. states to require labeling of any food or ingredient that contains at least 1% GMO as “GE/GMO” on the package. State Senator Daylin Leach is sponsoring the bill, which would take effect 18 months after its passage. The state has already joined 20 others in formally rejecting agricultural giant Monsanto’s research on the technology.
“This bill is not meant to prevent genetic engineering,” Leach said. “It is not limited in anyway. It doesn’t stop anyone from purchasing bigger salmon or allegedly pesticide resistant crops that have been genetically engineered. But some people do not want to consume that. Why can’t they know and make their own decisions?”
The Thai FDA requires importers and manufacturers in Thailand to obtain FDA approval prior to importing or manufacturing products.
Over 60 other countries, including those in Europe, require GMO products to be labeled as such, leaving the United States as the only industrialized country not to do so. The natural-foods grocery chain Whole Foods announced last week that it would require all GMO foods on its shelves to begin labeling their products by 2018.
The Patriot News reports that in 2012, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) dismissed a petition that called for GMO labeling, which was signed by almost a million people.
Pennsylvania’s bill has bi-partisan support, with more than 11 co-sponsors, as well as the backing of more than 70 agricultural groups and farmers.
Related video: GMOs in Thailand’s Produce
In Thailand, GMO labelling is only required if more than 5% of an ingredient is GMO, and only if the product is derived from soybeans or corn.
Related texts: Thailand FDA Registration
Related blog posts: GMOs in Thailand and Beyond
Labeling Law for GMOs in Thailand
Organizations Fighting the GMO Battle
Flickr photo courtesy of Steve Rhodes
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