GMO foods don't need special label, American Medical Assn. says

[stockholmer]

82. It IS illegal to label food as not containing GMO, you really dont know what you are talking about

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/09/18/fda-labeled-free-modification/

Extra labeling only confuses the consumer,’ biotech spokesman says

That the Food and Drug Administration is opposed to labeling foods that are genetically modified is no surprise anymore, but a report in the Washington Post indicates the FDA won’t even allow food producers to label their foods as being free of genetic modification.
In reporting that the FDA will likely not require the labeling of genetically modified salmon if it approves the food product for consumption, the Post‘s Lyndsey Layton notes that the federal agency “won’t let conventional food makers trumpet the fact that their products don’t contain genetically modified ingredients.”

The agency warned the dairy industry in 1994 that it could not use “Hormone Free” labeling on milk from cows that are not given engineered hormones, because all milk contains some hormones.

It has sent a flurry of enforcement letters to food makers, including B&G Foods, which was told it could not use the phrase “GMO-free” on its Polaner All Fruit strawberry spread label because GMO refers to genetically modified organisms and strawberries are produce, not organisms. It told the maker of Spectrum Canola Oil that it could not use a label that included a red circle with a line through it and the words “GMO,” saying the symbol suggested that there was something wrong with genetically engineered food.

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Genetically Modified Foods: More Reason to Avoid Them; Why They Threaten Organic Agriculture

http://www.anh-usa.org/genetically-modified-food-more-reason-to-avoid-them-and-why-they-threaten-organic-agriculture/

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http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/millenium/fdadisallowsgmo-freelabel.php

FDA's new regulations won't allow non-GMO, GMO-free label

New regulations propose strict guidelines for voluntary labeling of non-GMO productsIn mid-January, the US Food and Drug Administration announced new regulations requiring biotechnology companies to consult with the FDA at least 120 days before marketing new GM foods. Previously, such consultations were voluntary. Biotech companies must provide health safety data about the new GM foods to the FDA, and the agency said it would make this information available on the Internet.

While biotechnology and food industry representatives praised the new regulations, consumer and environmental groups criticized them, saying they didn't go far enough, particularly in terms of labeling GM foods. The FDA rejected consumer demands for labeling.


Notable for companies wanting to advertise products as non-genetically modified is the fact that the FDA says it will not allow labels like "GM-free," "GMO-Free" or "biotech-free." The agency says guaranteeing a product to be free of GM material is virtually impossible. Instead the labels will have to say the food was not produced through bioengineering. The FDA said it may take legal action against companies that violate these guidelines.

Recently, a U.S.-European biotechnology committee had recommended that the U.S. strengthen regulations on GM foods, including labeling. The Consumers Federation of America had also issued a report criticizing the current U.S. regulations. Editorials calling for labeling GM foods have appeared in major U.S. newspapers, including The Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, and Des Moines Register in the past year.


Comment on the FDA's new regulations

The FDA's new regulations are open to public comment. The FDA will take comments on the premarket review until April 3, 2001 and the labeling guidelines until March 19. To comment on the new regulations, visit http://www.fda.gov. Scroll down the page to the section titled, "Let us hear from you," then click on the heading "Tell us your views on FDA's proposed regulations." The regulations are found in the following FDA dockets:
•Docket No. 00N-1396, CFSAN 74. "Premarket Notice Concerning Bioengineered Foods."
•Docket No. 00D-1598, CFSAN 123. "Draft Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Labeling Indicating Whether Foods Have or Have Not Been Developed Using Bioengineering; Availability."