GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD 4 comments

25 Feb 2006 @ 14:14, by Marie Southern Do you know what is in your food? Is it genetically engineered? You don't know -- because they won't tell you... Click Here to Take Action Now! [link] Stay informed on the latest news. Click here to read The Campaign Reporter. Frequently Asked Questions Question: Why don't the food manufacturers and the biotech companies want you to know if your foods have been genetically engineered? Answer: Because if they are labeled, you will start asking questions such as "Have these genetically engineered foods been safety tested on humans?" The answer to that question is NO! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question: Doesn't the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) require genetically engineered foods to be safety tested like they do for new drugs and food additives before they are sold to the public for consumption? Answer: NO! With limited exceptions, under current FDA regulations, companies are not even required to notify the agency they are bringing new genetically engineered products to the market. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question: How much of the food I buy in the grocery stores contain genetically engineered ingredients? Answer: Since genetically engineered soy and corn are used in many processed foods, it is estimated that over 70 percent of the foods in grocery stores in the U.S. and Canada contain genetically engineered ingredients. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question: Are people all over the world eating genetically engineered foods? Answer: No, all of the European Union nations, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries require the mandatory labeling of foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients. As a result, food manufacturers in all those countries choose to use non-genetically engineered ingredients. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question: Are you telling me that people in the United States and Canada are eating a lot more genetically engineered foods than in many other countries in the world? Answer: Yes, citizens in the United States and Canada are engaged in the largest feeding experiment in human history and most people are not even aware of the fact. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question: What countries are growing genetically engineered crops? Answer: There were only five countries that grew about 98 percent of the $44 billion of commercial genetically engineered crops in 2003-2004. Those five countries were: the United States ($27.5 billion), Argentina ($8.9 billion), China ($3.9 billion), Canada ($2.0 billion) and Brazil ($1.6 billion). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question: What can I do to help properly regulate genetically engineered foods so that I can rest assure that these experimental crops will not harm human health or the environment? Answer: The single most important step you can take is to mail three letters using the U.S. Postal Service. One letter goes to your Congressional Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives and the other two to your state's two Senators serving in the U.S. Senate. The letters request that they support legislation to label genetically engineered foods. We have form letters on this web site for this purpose. Click here for more information. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © The Campaign . [link] FOLLOW THIS LETTER TO SEND TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE Please Co-Sponsor the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act Representative ? Dear Representative ?, Representative Dennis Kucinich (OH-10th) will soon introduce the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act before the 109th Congress. I am writing you now to ask you to become a co-sponsor at the time of introduction in order to get maximum support for this important consumer legislation. It is shocking that the FDA considers genetically engineered foods "substantially equivalent" to non-genetically engineered foods. Genetically engineered crops contain antibiotic-resistant marker genes, viral promoters and foreign proteins never before consumed by humans. These are not found in crops produced through normal means of hybridization. Further, the FDA is not testing these products itself. The agency is relying on edited summaries provided by the very companies that have a financial interest in bringing these biotech crops to market. And under current FDA law, the companies are not even required to provide summaries! Labeling is essential for me to choose whether or not I want to consume genetically engineered foods. Genetically engineered foods are required to be labeled in the European Union nations, plus Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries around the world. As an American, I firmly believe I should also have that right to know if my foods have been genetically engineered. A poll released July 15, 2003 by ABC News found that 92 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling on genetically modified foods. The figure was 93 percent in a poll ABC News conducted in 2001, so support for mandatory labeling is strong and consistent. As ABC News stated, "Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare." Please contact Representative Kucinich's office and let him know you wish to co-sponsor the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act. Thank you! Sincerely, (signature) (print name) (address) (city, state, zip)

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