-Caveat Lector- Some? Only some? How 'bout lableing ALL GE foods ! "The United States does not require the labeling of products with gene-altered ingredients, on the premise that they are essentially the same as conventionally bred crops" Wonder what mental contortions led to that conclusion. ~ /\/\ ====================== http://www.dallasnews.com/national/241609_biotech_19nat..html Global panel backs labeling some biotech food 12/19/2000 Associated Press WASHINGTON � A biotechnology committee formed by the United States and the European Union recommended new rules Monday for genetically engineered foods and mandatory labeling for some biotech products. "Consumers should have the right of informed choice regarding the selection of what they want to consume," said the 20-member panel, which included scientists, farmers, consumer advocates and industry officials. The panel's 19-page report said the United States and Europe should set "content-based mandatory labeling requirements" for foods that contain "novel genetic material," a term Europeans use for genetically engineered ingredients. The United States does not require the labeling of products with gene-altered ingredients, on the premise that they are essentially the same as conventionally bred crops. Some panel members believe the report's language is vague enough to support the U.S. position. Agricultural biotechnology "holds the potential to provide new tools for farmers in developing countries to increase yields, produce crops resistant to drought, salinity, pests and diseases, and produce new crop products of greater nutritional value," said the panel's report. But it also said new biotech products should not be allowed on the market until they have undergone a mandatory government approval process. The report "basically says that what we are doing right now is not enough," said panel member Carol Tucker Foreman, director of the Consumer Federation of America's Food Policy Institute. Under the report's recommendation, any foods with detectable traces of genetically engineered crops should be labeled, she said. But another panel member, Missouri farmer Ryland Utlaut, said the report could be read to support existing U.S. policy on labeling. "If we're not changing the content of the food or putting anything new in it, it is saying that we do not have to label," he said. The Clinton administration has resisted pressure from environmentalists and consumer advocacy groups to require mandatory labeling of biotech food. During the spring, the Food and Drug Administration proposed requiring biotech companies to consult with the agency before bringing new products onto the market, something the industry now does voluntarily. But the FDA said mandatory labeling was not warranted. The agency instead said it would develop guidelines for food makers to use for voluntarily labeling foods as biotech or biotech-free. Critics of the industry hope the latest report will pressure the incoming Bush administration to reconsider FDA's position. The European Union has a moratorium on approval of new biotech crops. (c) 2000 The Dallas Morning News ============================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
