Should GMO ingredients be labeled as such on food products?

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Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited April 2015
    So related to this....time to start thinking about labeling humans as GMO, too...

    http://www.nature.com/news/chinese-scientists-genetically-modify-human-embryos-1.17378
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    edited April 2015
    after growing up in a farming community and working for an LSU ag experiment station all through high school, I have faces to people that labeling would royally **** over...
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    Yes, even though it's a logistical nightmare, full disclosure is not a bad thing.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Laurend224 wrote: »
    It wouldn't bother me if they decided to label GMO food. I'm not terribly concerned with GMOs.

    This. Go ahead and label them for anyone who wants to know. I dont care either way, but see no issues with increased transparency.

    this.
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    Yes, even though it's a logistical nightmare, full disclosure is not a bad thing.
    Labeling would be the end of GMO in food...which I'm sure would make a lot of people who don't grow corn and soybeans and are willing to pay more for all food really happy.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited April 2015
    _John_ wrote: »
    after growing up in a farming community and working for an LSU ag experiment station all through high school, I have faces to people that labeling would royally **** over...

    If transparency ****s somebody over, that somebody is doing something wrong.

    Labeling would be the end of GMO in food...

    I very much doubt that. If pink slime can't kill the demand for McNuggets, most people aren't going to give a flying **** if their Oreos contain GMO ingredients.
  • rushfive
    rushfive Posts: 603 Member
    I would rather assume it is gmo and have the others prove, inspect, etc that they are truly "organic, natural".
    ie.... only label if organic, natural..... if it is not labeled this way I assume gmo.
    The guide lines for organic, natural would have to include the above mentioned contaminations from, insects, birds, feces, etc.... this way they carry the risk of law suits, and any other troubles that will arise.
    If non gmo is used, you can guarantee the pesticides sprayed would drastically increase also.

  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    _John_ wrote: »
    after growing up in a farming community and working for an LSU ag experiment station all through high school, I have faces to people that labeling would royally **** over...

    If open knowledge ****s somebody over, they're doing something wrong.

    If you want to get into hypotheticals and minutae then I could not disagree with that statement more
  • tat2cookie
    tat2cookie Posts: 1,899 Member
    Yes
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  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    _John_ wrote: »
    Yes, even though it's a logistical nightmare, full disclosure is not a bad thing.
    Labeling would be the end of GMO in food...which I'm sure would make a lot of people who don't grow corn and soybeans and are willing to pay more for all food really happy.
    I would disagree. Nothing wrong with GMO or it hasn't been shown to be harmful to date. I have no problem consuming gmo's but it allows me to make a choice and I'm all for full disclosure and choice.

  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    edited April 2015
    IMO anti-GMO people are much like anti-vaxxers. I find many believe BS websites that are nothing more than fear-mongering with very little (if any) scientific facts presented. Most anti-GMO people do not even have the very basic education of what GMO is, how it is used in agriculture today, and how the benefits of GMO are being developed for use in medicine and efforts to feed the hungry world-wide.

    For a basic education and discussion on the benefits and concerns of GMO, I recommend this youtube video. It is lengthy but it hits almost all the important, factual information.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7SBWB1JJfU
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited April 2015
    DaneanP wrote: »
    Most anti-GMO people do not even have the very basic education of what GMO is...

    Neither do most pro-GMO people.

    Even-steven.
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    edited April 2015
    That has not been my experience. If you are on Facebook, I urge you to join a group called GMO skepti-forum. You will need to request to be admitted but they are quick to respond. It is all evidence-based discussions and I've learned a lot just by reading. Many of the participants are either farmers or scientists. To my knowledge, there is only one person there who works for Monsanto but not in RD or PR.
  • ClubSilencio
    ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
    I'm against anything that Monsanto wants to do.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    I'm against anything that Monsanto wants to do.

    So you're against feeding the poor in underdeveloped countries?
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    I'm against anything that Monsanto wants to do.

    Including offering products their customers want to buy and employing a LOT of people?
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited April 2015
    Is it safe to assume that those who support GMO support it for all "O"rganisms...?

    Including humans?

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-24/human-embryos-editing-experiment-ignites-ethical-furore/6418818
  • eeelizabeth2012
    eeelizabeth2012 Posts: 132 Member
    I find it interesting we are just hearing about GMOs now. I first learned about them 11 years ago in my World Issues high school class. You could label them... but really you would be labeling virtually everything and for what purpose? A lot of the seeds we use to plant veggies and fruit are GMOs now... and are programmed to self-destruct so you have to buy more seeds. Most things are the store are GMO. I give up really. It is almost impossible to avoid, in my opinion.
  • gonebeast
    gonebeast Posts: 102 Member
    I lost all respect for Neil when he supported GMOs. Just in the early 90s were GMOs introduced into food, we have no clue what are the long term effects of this. We are the lab rats. If there was labeling I wouldn't touch GMOs, I'm sure many wouldn't and also goes the same way on the other end of the spectrum.

    I'm sure I could dig up evidence of what roundup and GMOs are doing so far but I'll let you do your own research.
  • gonebeast
    gonebeast Posts: 102 Member
    3bambi3 wrote: »
    I'm against anything that Monsanto wants to do.

    So you're against feeding the poor in underdeveloped countries?

    Lol you think this money hungry company is going to feed the poor for free or even at a lower price than in America? They're all about profit lady. Its actually made things worse for farmers and their land.

  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    I think it's an awfully big administrative burden for something that hasn't been credibly shown to have adverse effects. I am happy with the current regime where producers are free to label as non-GMO, but having to change labelling (and add it to some produce that was previously without labels) over something that the scientific community generally agrees to be a non-issue seems pointless.

    If people want to buy organic/non-GMO, which I often do, they can simply choose the products labelled as such.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    There is a lot of debate about GMO food labeling.

    Monsanto is the big player in this field and has been developing GMO plants that are not harmed by the herbicide glycophosphate (Roundup).

    Some food producers are willing to label their products but have been bullied into not doing so. There is even a regulation in the works that could absolutely prohibit GMO labeling on foods.

    Without getting into a debate as to the pro or con of GMOs, what would be the harm in allowing consumers to know what is in the product they buy? Currently the only way to be sure of avoiding GMOs is to buy foods carrying the Organic label.

    Personally I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of information and believe the consumer has the right to decide what they buy based on knowing the ingredients.

    What do you think? Label or no?

    I feel fairly certain that all of our food will be GMO in one way or another before too long, so I think it would be a waste of time.
  • ClubSilencio
    ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
    3bambi3 wrote: »
    I'm against anything that Monsanto wants to do.

    So you're against feeding the poor in underdeveloped countries?
    Yeah, I'm sure a company that has sued small farmers 150 times and won every case just wants to feed the poor. No one wants to feed the poor, bro. Maybe your local church does but on a global scale it's not reality. And the problem extends far beyond just food crops.

    Newsflash: GMO crops are for the rich (people who commute the kids to soccer practice and buy 24-pack frozen hamburger patties to tailgate at an SEC football game)

    ***Breaking News*** You probably eat more food that has been imported from an impoverished country that so desperately needs Monsanto to save them

    The only concern Monsanto has is $$$, not health or the environment.

    If you like them, fine. But please do better than that "feed the poor" nonsense. It's offensive.

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    sure, label them, then people would quit whining about it

    I would like to know what you people think would be left unlabeled? we have only been "breeding" crops for hundreds of years now, thats the origional GMing process people.....

    get over youselves!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I would like to know what you people think would be left unlabeled? we have only been "breeding" crops for hundreds of years now, thats the origional GMing process people.....

    It's not the same thing. Not even close.


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  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    I would like to know what you people think would be left unlabeled? we have only been "breeding" crops for hundreds of years now, thats the origional GMing process people.....

    It's not the same thing. Not even close.


    Yeah, hybridization vs genetic modification. Actually, I'd rather take my chances with GMO if I had to choose, but I'd rather not have either.

    Humans wouldn't even be here without hybridization. We didn't spring fully formed from the mind of Zeus...
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    I would like to know what you people think would be left unlabeled? we have only been "breeding" crops for hundreds of years now, thats the origional GMing process people.....

    It's not the same thing. Not even close.


    Yeah, hybridization vs genetic modification. Actually, I'd rather take my chances with GMO if I had to choose, but I'd rather not have either.

    Humans wouldn't even be here without hybridization. We didn't spring fully formed from the mind of Zeus...

    Speak for yourself, puny mortal.
  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    I would like to know what you people think would be left unlabeled? we have only been "breeding" crops for hundreds of years now, thats the origional GMing process people.....

    It's not the same thing. Not even close.


    Yeah, hybridization vs genetic modification. Actually, I'd rather take my chances with GMO if I had to choose, but I'd rather not have either.

    How do you feel about plant grafting?
This discussion has been closed.