Dear Editor:
We're being poisoned. Every day Americans are buying food with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in them. We're buying them because food producers aren't required to label products with GMO's in them even though over 85 percent of consumers polled wouldn't purchase them if they knew and with good reason.
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine states, "Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GMO food," including infertility, allergic reactions, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. They ask physicians to advise patients to avoid GMO foods.
In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration claimed they had no information showing that GMO foods were substantially different from conventionally grown foods. Therefore they are safe to eat, and absolutely no safety studies were required. In reality, FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GMO foods can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged long-term safety studies, but were ignored. So much for the FDA's mandate to protect us from harm.
To date, GMO plants approved by the FDA include soybeans, corn, alfalfa, sugar beets, cottonseed, and canola. They've all had foreign genes forced into their DNA. The inserted genes come from species, such as bacteria and viruses, which have never been in the human food supply. The Organic Consumers Association estimates that 70-80 percent of the food in our supermarkets contain GMO's!
What is needed is mandatory labeling legislation, so at least consumers can make a choice of what we eat. This legislation should include a provision for mandatory labels on all products that "contain or may contain GMO."
Most Americans have no idea that these products are in much of our food already and, if given a choice, would choose not to consume them or feed them to their families. We deserve the opportunity to be given that choice and without mandatory labeling that simply isn't going to happen.
If you're concerned, write to your representatives in Congress and our state Legislature. We can make this happen.