REPORT FROM OFFICE OF CONGRESSWOMAN TULSI GABBARD -Washington, DC – Following news of the first state law to require labeling for genetically engineered (GE) food, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) today reiterated her call for a Federal labeling law. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin indicated he would sign a GE food labeling bill into law on May 8.
“This is a very simple issue. People have a right to know what is in the food they eat and feed their families. I commend Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin for his support for GE food labeling legislation,” said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who is an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act (H.R. 1699). “Labeling GE food will provide consumers with the straightforward, transparent information they need to make informed decisions about their food. Congress must act immediately on the legislation I have co-sponsored that will create clear, consistent labeling standards across the country.”
More than 1.5 million Americans have filed comments with the FDA urging it to label GE foods, and national surveys have shown that more than 90 percent of people support it. Currently, 64 countries around the world have mandatory labeling laws.
The FDA already requires labeling of more than 3,000 ingredients, additives and processes, but it has resisted labels for GE foods. Changing this outdated policy would add the consumer-demanded GE food label to that robust list; a step which would not be cost-prohibitive for companies or consumers.