NORMAL, IL -- Here's a report on last week's public hearing regarding labeling of genetically engineered food, by Clare Howard. The hearing was mostly ignored by the corporate media.
Illinois Sen. Sam McCaan lectured and reprimanded expert witnesses speaking in favor of labeling genetically engineered food during a public hearing at Illinois State University on June 20. Yet, McCaan, R-Jacksonville, left unchallenged the testimony of members of the panel speaking against labeling.
A farmer opposed to mandated labeling testified that GE food is our “moral obligation” to feed the world and protect health and mandated labeling would lead to food insecurity and hunger. A representative from the Illinois Manufacturers Association testified labeling would force companies to leave the state.
Nearly 250 people attended the hearing, the first of three called by Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, sponsor of Senate Bill 1666 that would require labeling foods containing more than 1 percent of GE ingredients.
Distinguished emeritus professor of molecular genetics at ISU, Herman Brockman, was met with repeated applause during his testimony in favor of labeling. Brockman said labeling gives people freedom of choice, “a bedrock and precious freedom.”
He said labeling is “not a radical proposal. By labeling GE foods, we would join 64 other countries that already do so.”
Brockman said the only reason labeling is not now mandatory is because biotech corporations claim it is “substantially equivalent” to non-GE food, but “as a geneticist, I reject this claim. It is not backed by data and if it is accurate, how can these products be patentable?”
The process of genetically engineering food produces hundreds of thousands of mutations and poses unforeseen human health risks, he said, noting there is no long-term safety testing on GE food. Testing has been conducted by industry, not independent scientists, he said.
GE food, also referred to as GMOs or genetically-modified organisms, is transgenic meaning genes from one species are transferred to another. By contrast, hybridization involves crossing traits from similar species. Hybridization does not introduce foreign genes and does not create mutations, Brockman told the subcommittee on food labeling, Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee meeting in the Bone Student Center at ISU.
McCaan did not challenge or lecture Brockman but asked if he wouldn’t agree the government does a good job of providing a safe food supply and asked Brockman to grade the current system.
Without hesitation, the retired professor responded “F,” an answer met with sustained applause. He explained that biotech companies like Monsanto develop new GE seed and are not required to submit to FDA testing. The company does its own testing and is not forced to release all the data.
The European Union has a better system than the United States, Brockman said. He also challenged the contention farmers get better yields, pointing out that peer reviewed research found no higher yields with GE crops.
In its opposition to labeling, Mark Denzler, vice president and chief operating officer with the Illinois Manufacturers Association, said consumers will bear higher costs with labeling. However, in her remarks supporting labeling, Hailey Golds, field director for Illinois Public Interest Research Group, said failure to label costs farmers and the U.S. economy hundreds of millions of dollars in lost exports to countries that require labeling. Just recently, the discovery of unapproved GE wheat in a field in Oregon resulted in Japan’s cancellation of U.S. wheat orders.
Opponents of labeling told the committee that mandated labeling would imply to the public that genetically engineered food is unsafe. Koehler challenged that notion, pointing out that pharmaceutical companies are now forced to disclose possible side effects and food is labeled for ingredients and calories, yet consumers still use drugs and processed foods.
Speaking in opposition to labeling, Michael Miller, a microbiologist from the University of Illinois, said GE crops have brought benefits to Illinois citizens. He said corn genetically engineered with the Bt organism reduces pesticide use, increases yields, decreases aflatoxins and is safe for farmers. Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring soil bacterium.
Ron Moore, a farmer from Roseville, told the panel labeling GE food would lead to food insecurity and hunger, especially in low-income communities.
“Safeguards are already in place for GE foods, and labeling is unnecessary and implies GE food is unsafe,” he said.
In response to the challenge that GE labeling should be dealt with at the federal level, not the state level, Koehler said that while he may agree, he doesn’t control the Congressional agenda in Washington and we should do what we can in Illinois. He argued labeling could create a value-added product for Illinois and be an economic advantage for the state.
Two additional public hearings are scheduled for later this summer: noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 7, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and tentatively for 10 a.m. to noon, Sept. 17 in Chicago.
-- Clare Howard
Here's a link to a story showing how GE foods are banned in England.
Awesome article! Thank you David Koehler for sponsoring this bill. And really?! 64 countries are ahead of us?! It would be nice for IL to be a trend setter for a change instead always being forced to comply with change.
Posted by: Rita Demask | June 26, 2013 at 01:06 PM