WELLNESS--It was 1996 when the infamous Monsanto introduced a “drought resistant” crop, which is really just another way of saying GMO or Genetically Modified Organism. Ever since that, there has been a war going on regarding labeling our foods containing these organisms.
There are over 64 countries worldwide that already enforce strict labeling laws in regards to GMO’s. Those countries include 28 nations of the European Union, Japan, Australia, Russia, and even China. While the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization continue to pander to greedy corporations like Monsanto and others that make these chemicals and GMO foods, the American people are becoming more and more outraged.
In 2014 Vermont became the first state to make GMO labeling mandatory. Connecticut and Maine have also passed similar laws that will go into effect once their neighboring states also pass similar laws. Since these laws have come to pass, there are congress people that have introduced federal legislation developed by powerful food corporations with the intent of denying our right to know what we are eating by making it perfectly legal to not label GMO foods.
Last week, that law was defeated and activists and other people nation-wide are pushing for a bill that would make labeling GMO foods mandatory. The bill is designed as a win-win even for small companies that labeling fees can hit hard in the pocket book.
For now, in place of passing nation-wide laws, activists have been more successful taking on companies one by one to get them to label GMO foods. Not long ago Campbell’s Soup agreed to start labeling their GMO products and last week General Mills also bowed to the needs of consumers by announcing that they too will start labeling their GMO foods nation-wide.
GMO’s should be labeled so people can at least know that the food they are eating contains GMO’s or not. The FDA and WHO may say they are safe, but we all know they have said the same thing about many drugs over the years that have done real damage to people’s health. Drugs like Accutane and Phen-fen to name a few. I for one prefer to know what I’m putting in my body, and I will continue to work to get the word out on the unknown potential dangers of GMO’s and the real need for labeling laws.
(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
-cw
Good News On GMO’s!
