LABELING OF GMO’s Lilly Freeland, Samantha Wu, Chhayleng Touch, Connie Duncan, Silvana La Torre, Stephanie Leong, Brian Douglas.

LABELING OF GMOLABELING OF GMO’’ssLilly Freeland, Samantha Wu, Chhayleng Touch, Connie Duncan, Silvana La Torre,

Stephanie Leong, Brian Douglas

WHAT ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS?

• GMOs are a branch of bioengineering.• AKA genetically modified foods (GM) and

genetically engineered foods (GE).• GMOs are animal and plant genes that

have been engineered to express chosen traits.

• Resistance to insect, herbicides or harsh environmental conditions, improved product shelf life, and increased nutritional value.

• There are only two traits that have shown commercial success: herbicide and insect resistance.

• Monsanto, DuPont/Pioneer, Syngenta, and Dow/Mycogen market GM foods.

• FDA oversee the GM food, but it is voluntary

HISTORY OF GMOs

• Paul Berg generates recombinant DNA in 1972.

• First commercial cultivation of genetically modified plants in 1996

• FlavrSavr tomato is the 1st commercial GM food.

• There are 50 GM crops on the market in the US but not all are allowed for sale

BenefitGolden rice

•Vitamin A/ beta-carotene

FlavrSavr tomato•Last longer

Environmental impact

• weeds • new, more virulent or more widely spread viruses• potentially toxic substances may affect birds or

deer• difficult to predict impact on ecosystem• crop diversity• short lifespan and resistance• introducing allergen and increase toxin level

Background on Labeling GMOs• 1992 FDA published “Statement of Policy: Foods

Derived from New Plant Varieties” aka the 1992 Policy.– Does not require labeling of BT foods

• Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act aka The Act– Section 403 governs labeling of foods– Section 403(a)(1) misbranding labeling if it is false or

misleading.– Section 201(n) Info on how labels can be misleading

Background on Labeling GMOs

• 1993 Concern about the labeling guidelines• 50,000 written comments• 1999 Three public meetings announced to

address:– Current approaches and experience in past 5 years

regarding BT foods.– Gather different view points if the 1992 policy should

be modified.– Determine methods of conveying info to public about

BT foods in the food supply.

Verdict

• The agency is still not aware of any data or any other information that would form a basis for concluding that the fact that a food or its ingredients was produced using bioengineering is a material fact that must be disclosed under sections 403(a) and 201(n) of the Act.

• No changes to 1992 Policy.• Guidance on VOLUNTARY LABELING

Click on title above to link to video: “Bernie SandersGoes after Monsanto”

CURRENT POLICY ON LABELING GMO’s IN THE US

• The FDA requires labeling of GE foods IF the food has a significantly different nutritional property.

• For ex: A company would have to label a peanut protein in a soy product.

Connie

WHAT COUNTRIES ARE IMPLEMENTING AND WHY?

• In Europe all food products containing more than 0.9% GMO are labeled.

• Committee for Independent information and research on genetic engineering and the laboratory of biochemistry in France did a study that found GMO corn and soybean cause liver and renal disease in rats as well as numerous tumors.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M_ztZGbLEJ0

Connie

Proposition 37The long form summary appears as,

• Requires labeling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways.

• Prohibits labeling or advertising such food, or other processed food, as “natural.”

• Exempts foods that are: certified organic; unintentionally produced withgenetically engineered material; made from animals fed or injected withgenetically engineered material but not genetically engineered themselves;processed with or containing only small amounts of genetically engineeredingredients; administered for treatment of medical conditions; sold for immediateconsumption such as in a restaurant; or alcoholic beverages.

Evidence

• Numerous short-term peer-reviewed animal studies link GMOs to adverse health effects including allergies and liver and kidney problems.

• Massive studies in rats Fed GMO’S corn in first ever long-term study.

• Read the study here: http://research.sustainablefoodtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Final-Paper.pdf

IF PROP 37 PASSES• Will join the over 50 other

countries that already require labeling for GMO’s

• Foods will no longer be labeled as "natural"

• Funds from the state will increase to regulate genetically engineered foods

• Everyone will know what they are eating

Stephanie

IF PROP 37 PASSES• If it passes in CA, then the hope is

that the rest of the states in the country will follow

• Monsanto would no longer be able to hide what is in their foods

• Farmers will also have a right to plant what they want

• Some major food corporations will suffer due to the fact that their foods could be labeled as having GMO’s

Stephanie

IMPACT IF PROP 37 IS NOT SUPPORTED

• The public remain unaware of what is in their food regarding GMO’s

• Other states may not try at all

• Some companies voluntarily label

• Food choices remain the same unless self- educated– No informed decisions

LONG TERM LAB TESTING• Previous testing done over 90 day period on

rats---no significant health changes– In-house testing

• Journal of Food & Chemical Toxicology– French study sounding alarm in Europe and Russia– after 90 days and up to two years

– Mammary tumors, liver and kidney impairment, infertility, endocrine system disruption

– Why should that matter?

IMPACTS CONTINUED…

• Ties back into informed decisions– Regardless of position– Health outcomes uncertain– Precautionary principle– Russia and France- moratorium on all Monsanto

GMO corn until further evidence

• Not everyone is a food expert

YES ON 37

Over 2,100 businesses and professionals have endorsed

Prop 37 including a broad range of consumers, farms

and environmental and health advocates.

• Donors to NO ON 37• Abbott Nutrition• BASF Plant Science• Bayer CropScience• Bimbo Bakeries USA• Bumble Bee Foods, LLC• Bunge North America, Inc.• C. H. Guenther & Son, Inc.• Campbell Soup Company• Cargill, Inc.• Clement Pappas & Company, Inc.• Clorox Company• Coca-Cola North America• ConAgra Foods• Council for Biotechnology Information• CropLife America• Dole Packaged Foods Company• Dow AgroSciences LLC• E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.• General Mills, Inc.• Grocery Manufacturers Association• H.J. Heinz Company• Hero North America• Hershey Company• Hirzel Canning Company• Hormel Foods Corporation• House-Autry Mills, Inc.• Idahoan Foods, LLC• Inventure Foods, Inc.• Kellogg Company• Knouse Foods Cooperative, Inc.• Kraft Foods Global, Inc.

• Land O’Lakes, Inc.• McCain Foods USA, Inc.• McCormick & Company, Inc.• Monsanto Company• Nestle USA, Inc.• Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.• PepsiCo, Inc.• Pinnacle Foods Group LLC• Reily Foods Company• Rich Products Corporation• Richelieu Foods, Inc.• Sara Lee Corporation• Smithfield Foods, Inc.• Solae, LLC• Sunny Delight Beverages Company• Syngenta Corporation• The J.M. Smucker Company• Tri-Cal Inc.• Vroom• Ware

REFERENCES• Diaz, J., Fridovich-Keil, J., (2012). Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). Encyclopædia

Britannica. Retrieved on October 2, 2012, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/897705/genetically-modified-organism-GMO/

Ed. (2012). Bioengineering. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on October 2, 2012 from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/65846/bioengineering

Engineered Foods Allowed on the Market (n.d.) Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/science/engineered-foods-allowed-on.html

Genetics and Genomics Timeline. (n.d.). Genome News Network. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/resources/timeline/1972_Berg.php

Mellon, M., & Rissler, J. (2003, June 12). Ucsusa. Retrieved on October 2, 2012, from http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/impacts_genetic_engineering/environmental-effects-of.html

REFERENCES• Ananda, Rady. (2012). US Senate Votes Against GMO Food Labels 73-26. Retrieved

October 1st, 2012 from http://foodfreedomgroup.com/2012/06/23/senate-votes-no-gmo-food-labels/

• Briggs, Michael. (2012). Senators Reject Sander’s Food Labeling Amendment.Retrieved October 2nd, 2012 from http://vtdigger.org/2012/06/21/senate-rejects-sanders-food-labeling-amendment/

• Food Democracy. (n.d.) Retrieved October 2nd, 2012 from http://

action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/california_right/

• Gertsberg, Deniza. (2012). California’s Right To Know Ballot Measure is Now Prop37. Retrieved October 1st, 2012 from http://gmo-journal.com/index.php/2012/07/11/californias-right-to-know-ballot-measure-is-now-prop-37/

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (n.d.) Guidance for Industry:Voluntary Labeling Indicating Whether Foods Have or Have Not Been Developed Using Bioengineering; Draft Guidance. Retrieved on September 29, 2012 from http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidancedocuments/foodlabelingnutrition/ucm059098.htm

Reference• (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://foodmatters.tv/images/assets/pharmcorn.jpg• Byrne, P. (2010, Sept). Colorado state university. Retrieved from

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09371.html• h(n.d.). Retrieved from

http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/09/19/french-study-rocks-gmo-labeling-debate/

• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/09/19/french-study-rocks-gmo-labeling-debate/

• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2012/06/20120614-GMO-labeling-map.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg

Both

REFERENCES• Wood, D. B. (2012, August 20). Prop. 37: Will California be first state to

label genetically modified food? . Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/2012/0820/Prop.-37-Will-California-be-first-state-to-label-genetically-modified-food

• Baertlein, L., & Gillam, C. (2012, August 17). Prop 37: California GMO Fight Pits Big Food Against Activists. Huffington Post. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/prop-37-california_n_1791555.html

• Baum, J. (2012, September 19). Prop. 37 Blazes Way for GMO Labeling. Farm Futures. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://farmfutures.com/story.aspx/prop-37-blazes-gmo-labeling-0-63374

• Yes on Prop 37. (n.d.). Yes on Prop 37. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://carighttoknow.org