GMO Labeling Bills Nearing Deadline In Massachusetts

GMO labeling bills in Massachusetts must get pushed through committee very quickly if they have any hope of being considered in front of the full legislative body. Five bills pushing for mandatory food labels which promote a consumer’s right to know what they are putting in their mouths, were proposed in Massachusetts. If the bills do not make it out of committee by March 19, the entire process must begin anew.

MA Right to Know GMOs Director Martin Dagoberto already announced that his groups will re-introduce the bills if they fail to meet the deadline. “We have been meeting with leadership and people are talking about it,” the food activist said.

Last summer dietician and GMO documentary filmmaker Nicole Cormier testified before the Massachusetts House of Representatives last summer urging lawmakers to allow citizens the freedom to make informed choices about what goes into the cook pot. During a campaign speech in Iowa then candidate Barack Obama told the roaring crowd that Americans have a right to know what goes into their food.

Three GMO labeling bills are now pending in from of the Joint Committee on Public Health – H1936, H2037, and H2093. Two similar bills are pending before the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, H808 and H813. There are also three additional bills dealing with GMO labeling and genetically modified agriculture practices in front of the Massachusetts Public Health committee. The Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know was sponsored by Representative Ellen Story and nine others.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, food industry giants that spent millions of dollars fighting state laws pertaining to genetically modified crops are now pushing for a federal law to accomplish the same goals.But despite the progress in the fight to know what is in your food, there may not be a cause for celebration just yet.

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The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), which was a major foe in the GMO labeling state initiative fight, is promoting what many consider a “watered-down” version of GMO labeling laws with only voluntary standards. A host of food advocacy groups have deemed the proposal merely a power grab by the food industry, which has consistently placed hurdles in front of transparency initiatives in the past.

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The Grocery Manufacturers Association represents food and beverage suppliers such as Kraft, ConAgra, and PepsiCo. Statements coming from the group claim the industry is attempting to find a “national solution” to the GMO labeling debate, and that having a “patchwork” of laws which vary by state would mean creating different packaging for each state. While such an argument may appear valid on its face, if the food manufacturers simply opted for full disclosure across the board, the alleged need for alternative packaging would be eliminated.

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