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California GMO labeling

initiative is filed

Nathan Batalion, Global Health Activist, Healingtalks Editor

(Healingtalks) This week the grassroots Committee For the Right to Know, a wide-ranging coalition of consumer, public health and environmental organizations, food companies, and individuals submitted the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act to the State Attorney General for title and summary, prior to circulation as an initiative measure for the November 2012 election. This is part of a nationwide campaign to also raise consumer awareness and thereby reach a triggering a “tipping point” or sufficient rejection (approximately 5% of consumers) to have GMOs largely removed from the marketplace.

What the Right to Know GEFA Requires

The initiative would require genetically engineered foods (also known as genetically modified organisms, or GMOs) and foods containing GMO ingredients to be clearly labeled, similar to current labels with other nutritional information.

Genetically engineered food is usually plant or meat product that has had its DNA artificially altered in a lab with genes from other plants, animals, viruses or bacteria, in order to produce foreign compounds in that food. This genetic alteration is experimental, and is not found in nature.

Risks of GE Foods

The risk of genetically engineered foods is unclear, and unlike the strict safety evaluations required for the approval of new drugs, the safety of genetically engineered foods for human consumption has not been adequately tested, the group said. Recent studies show that genetically engineering food can create new, unintended toxic substances and increase allergies, cancer risks and other health problems, especially for children.

Experts Agree Labeling Is Necessary

Experts agree that by labeling genetically engineered food, we can help identify foods that cause health problems, the committee said.

“Because the FDA has failed to require labeling of GMO food, this initiative closes a critical loophole in food labeling law. It will allow Californians to choose what they buy and eat and will allow health professionals to track any potential adverse health impacts of these foods,” says Andy Kimbrell, Director of the Center for Food Safety.

Most Common GMO Traits

The two most common genetically engineered traits are the expression of an insecticide in the tissue of “Bt Corn” and the expression of a compound in “Roundup Ready Soy” which enables high doses of Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer to be sprayed while the plant survives.

As much as 85 percent of corn in the U.S. is genetically engineered. BT Corn is currntly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as an insecticide.

 Worldwide GMO Labeling Movement

Robyn O’Brien, author and founder of the Allergy Kids Foundation says, “I support labeling genetically engineered foods because allergy-sensitive people can exercise caution with essential information to make informed decisions about what they eat.” Fifty countries including the European Union and Japan have laws mandating that genetically engineered foods be labeled, but the United States does not have such a requirement.

Public opinion polls indicate that over 90 percent of California voters support the labeling of genetically engineered foods. Efforts to enact labeling laws in Congress and the California legislature have been blocked by big food and chemical company lobbyists. This measure will take the issue directly to the people to decide whether genetically engineered foods should be labeled.

“These genetically engineered foods have been allowed into our food supply without warning, and they aren’t labeled,” said Pamm Larry, founder of the grassroots movement and the Committee For the Right to Know. “The bottom line is Californians have a right to know what’s in the food we eat and feed our children. It’s time to send a strong, direct message to those who govern us, whether they be agency or elected, that we want genetically engineered foods labeled.”

 The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act was carefully and specifically written to avoid any unnecessary burden or cost to consumers or producers. California voters are expected to have the chance to vote on the initiative in November 2012.

The full text submitted to the attorney general can be read below.

Source: Lake County News  http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews,

November 2011 – California Right to Know Initiative

Video

• 50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Foods

• 10  Reasons to Avoid GMOs
  
• Six Short Videos – Everything You Need To Know About GMOs

Natural Organic Food - Go Organic

There used to be a time when you could eat whatever was put on our food plates but times have changed dramatically. The number of chemicals injected in our food supply now has skyrocketed to alarming rates!

WHAT’S NEWLY IN OUR FOOD
About 10,000 chemicals are now routinely used in food processing and storage, and 3,000 directly in our foods! Furthermore, we have the added lethal “bonus” of genetically modified ingredients which are not labeled!

HOW UNLABELED GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS TOOK OFF
This was the result of some secret and private meetings between executives of Monsanto and other industry giants with the prior Bush administrations. A campaign was started to sell the world public on the false idea that genetically modified foods are “essentially equivalent to regular foods.”

A DIFFERENT TRUTH
The diametrical opposite is so.  Never has there been a more radical change to our common food supply, plus this is hidden to the public. When a fish gene is spliced into a tomato, or a worm gene in an apple, something is more than fundamentally wrong.  The process is also violent, using a gene gun that violates the conscious and alive genetic membranes. I call a spade a spade. This is genetic rape.

ITS IN MOST PROCESSED NON-ORGANIC FOODS
The end products turn out to be predictably harmful to our environment and our bodies.  2/3rds of supermarket items now have such genetically modified  food ingredients? These GMO foods first hit the market in the early 1990s, again thanks to no meaningful safety testing or regulatory oversight or labeling.

What can the average consumer do, in self-defense.

GO ORGANIC!

In your buying choices, we must support those farmers who have integrity, who care for us, who are not polluting the earth or ultimately our  bodies and that of our children for short-sighted profits.

NON-GMO FOODS
GMO (genetically modified organism) food ingredients are not labeled in the US , thanks to the prior Bush administration gross negligence. GMOs are freely produced, proliferated and marketed. However, certified organic foods are not allowed to contain any GMO plant or animal ingredients. Thus when you purchase 100% organic foods you are generally safe.  Products labeled “made with organic ingredients,” will require 70% of the ingredients to be organic but you can’t trust the rest. Some companies chose to label their non-organic products as non-GMO or certain ingredients as non-GMO.

SPOTING GMO FOODS
The main products to be concerned about which have GMO  food ingredients are soy, corn, canola oil, cottonseed oil, and beet sugar. Thus it is now necessary to look for either 100% cane sugar or non-GMO sweeteners when buying candy or chocolate products.  Most processed foods nowadays had GMO ingredients – especially if it says corn syrup or natural sweeteners. Also be careful with papayas which may come from GMO papaya trees.

So buyer beware as there at least 50 harmful effects of genetically modified foods.

Here is  an outline of more harmful effects of genetically-modified foods, crops and organisms. For a full text and all the details of these harms see www.raw-wisdom.com/50harmful

MAJOR CATEGORIES FOR 50 HARMFUL EFFECTS

(1-15) IMPACTS ON HEALTH
Deaths and Near Deaths, Cancer and Degenerative Disease, Viral and Bacterial Illnesses, Allergies,  General Health Impacts

(16-31) ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Impacts on: Soil, Seeds, Plants,  Trees, Insects and Large Animals, and the Issue of Genetic Uncertainties

(32-43) ON FARMING
Impacts on: Small Farm Livelihood and Survival, Organic Farming and Overall Farm Production, Corporate Control of Farming and Dependency.

(44-47) WIDER ECONOMIC & POLITICAL EFFECTS
Bio-colonization, Violations of Our Right to Know

(48-50) OPPOSING DEEP ECOLOGY
Globally Imposing a Non-living Model of Nature

Once you know the full story of this adulteration and deep corruption of our modern food supply, you will not want to eat anything but WHOLESOME ORGANIC FOODS.

Here is the first part of a two-part synopsis of the major health impacts of genetically-modified foods. Each of the total of fifteen items are discussed in greater detail in my article 50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Foods.

DEATHS
In 1969 dozens of Americans died  (thousands more were impaired) when a GM version of a food supplement  L-Tryptophan was sold to the general public.

NEAR DEATHS
In 1996, Brazil nut genes were spliced into soybeans by Pioneer Hi-Bred. This triggered food allergies which could have engendered anaphylactic shock and death. Nearly 25% of the population has some food allergies. What will the impact be (without any safety testing) of putting fish genes into tomatoes or petunia flower elements into soybeans?  Several studies have shown serious allergic reactions to GM foods – especially with GM soy, Bt-corn, GM potatoes with cod genes, and GM peas.

DIRECT CANCER & DEGENERATIVE DISEASE LINKS
These are legion, especially with genetically modified rGBH growth hormones. A number of other degenerative disease links have been found to DNA fragments found in GM foods – including to cancer, arthritis and blood disorders.

INDIRECT EFFECTS
The use of X-rays and irradiation have been directly linked to a rise in number of cancer rates. Genetic engineering also causes random genetic mutations which thus very likely, if indirectly, can lead to a rise in cancers.

SUPER-VIRUSES
Viruses can cross-breed or mix their gene pools in as little as 8 weeks. GM viruses are commonly used in the creation of GM corn, cotton and canola. There are documented huge risks and dangers involved in the highly probably formation of super-viruses.  No studies, however, have been made on super-molds or mildews and other catabolic life-forms.

BACTERIAL/ANTIBIOTIC THREATES IN MILK
Cows injected with rGBH have a much higher level of bacterial infections. This elicits more antibiotic use by farmers which adds another health-risk layer.

ANTIBIOTIC THREATS VIA PLANTS
Genetic engineering commonly uses  antibiotic resistant genes as markers to trace where implanted genes go in the target plant. An ampicillan-resistant gene is used in GM corn as a marker. These genes can be transferred to super-bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The British Royal Society called for a total ban of this marker due to significant human health risks.

Health impacts

of GM foods – Part II

Nathan Batalion, Global Health Activist, Healingtalks Editor

(Healingtalks) Here is the second part of our blog synopsis of the health impacts of GM Foods. Each of these GM-food health impacts is discussed in much greater detail at www.raw-wisdom.com/50harmful

RESURGENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

This was the conclusion of an article in The Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease Journal.  It is due to the ultiple impacts of forming new viral and bacterial strains via transfers of genetic materials to micro-organisms in our mouth, larynx, stomach and intestines.

INCREASED FOOD ALLERGIES
The loss of biodiversity has grown in parallel with the rise in food allergies. Life innately reacts to mechanically-produced foods in our modern factory-farming agriculture.

BIRTH DEFECTS, INFERTILITY, AND SHORTER LIFE SPANS
Both experiments with cows and rate have shown higher birth defects when fed genetically modified foods. Other studies have shown infertility, immune problems, organ deformities, and accelerated aging – why the American Academy of Environmental Medicine called for a total moratorium on the planting and release of GMOs.

INTERIOR TOXINS
Certain GM foods have internal pesticide toxins, such with BT corn and BT soy. This is the first time in history that cell-interior toxicity has being sold to the unwary consumer.

LOWERED OR CORRUPTED NUTRITION
Several studies have shown that certain GM foods have both lower vital nutrients and much higher levels of bacteria, pus and allergens.

NO REGULATED HEALTH SAFETY TESTING
Given that GM foods represent the most radical alteration of our diet in human history, the US government, led by the Bush administration, has embarked on a highly irresponsible policy of not requiring any significant safety testing of GMOs and genetically modified foods.

UNNATURAL AND UNLABELED FOODS
According to the FDA’s own studies, pleotropic effects and unpredictable alterations occur at frequencies of 30% in GM Foods. Yet Congress mandated the FDA to require labeling if “there is something tangibly different  about the food that is material to the consequences which may result.”

RADICAL/WHOLESALE CHANGE AND CONTROL OF DIET
Human diets have evolved for thousands of years yet in the last decade we’ve introduced such radical, violent and widespread changes in our food supply, with no significant safety testing. About 10 companies now control 40-50% of all seed and food production in the US and it is projected that 90% of processed foods will soon have GM food ingredients (up from 2/3rds.

TAKING ACTION
Give the adulteration of the modern food supply, this is why we increasingly recommend eating organic foods as much as possible. We also lobby companies and the government to stop the process.

Keywords

genetically modified food crops, gmo