FDA Makes Us 'Guinea Pigs' With Frankenfood

Mark Bittman: Feds don't think we need labels for genetically engineered food
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 16, 2011 11:57 AM CST
Mark Bittman: FDA Makes Us 'Guinea Pigs' With Frankenfood
King salmon, also known as chinook, sit on ice at the Pike Place Fish Market Monday, Sept. 20, 2010, in Seattle.   (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Had anything to eat today? Congratulations, you're a "guinea pig" in the brave new world of genetically modified food, writes Mark Bittman. What's more, you've got no say in the matter. Lots of our food products already contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and more are on the way, but federal regulators refuse to require them to be labeled as such, he complains in the New York Times.

If you think the science is iffy and would prefer to avoid Frankenfood, tough luck. Not even an "organic" label will help in the US. This is "demeaning and undemocratic, and the real reason is clear: producers and producer-friendly agencies correctly suspect that consumers will steer clear of G.E. products if they can identify them," writes Bittman. "Which may make them unprofitable. Where is the free market when we need it?" (More genetically modified crops stories.)

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