Mandatory labelling of GE food (finally!)

[thomson]

The feds are discussing a Bill that would require the labelling of genetically engineered (GE) foods. The info posted below is from Greenpeace Canada and has a bias (and call to action) in favour of the bill.

There are no mandatory labelling regulations in place for GE food in Canada. Canada does have a voluntary labelling scheme but, not surprisingly, no companies so far have chosen to label their GE food. Although approximately 70 per cent of processed foods in Canada contain GE ingredients, it's up to individual consumers to read labels and make careful decisions in order to avoid GE. (Greenpeace.ca)

In Australia, New Zealand, China, Indonesia, England, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and over two dozen other countries, labelling is the law. Many countries have also imposed moratoriums or bans on all or some GE crops including members of the European Union, Brazil, Norway, Japan, India, Great Britain and Thailand.

The Canadian House of Commons is currently discussing Bill C-517: mandatory labelling of genetically engineered (GE) food.

Tell your Member of Parliament (MP) that you want them to support Bill C-517!

Step 1: Find your MP's email or phone #:

http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

Step 2: Here's a simple sample letter:

Dear ___________,

I am asking you to vote in favour of Bill C-517.

We all have the right to know what we are eating and the right to not eat genetically engineered (GE) foods. I support mandatory labelling of GE food, which is already practiced in over 40 countries. MP Gilles-A. Perron's Bill C-517 would allow implementation of mandatory labelling in Canada.

Please confirm your intention to support this important bill. Thank you in advance for you time.

Sincerely,

________________

Please circulate this information.

News clip from Greenpeace Canada April 11, 2008

http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/recent/c-517-mandatory-ge-labelling

[Ms Zimmy]

FINALLY!

In Europe, they didn't want to label their foods either, makes people think, and a large population went crazy, smashing up grocery stores, it didn't last long before they made labeling GE foods law.

Thanks for posting!

[slavetothegroove]

I e-mailed my MP too, Paul Dewar here in Ottawa.

FINALLY is right....I hope this passes.

[AdamH]

Betcha it doesn't pass. Agro interests are incredibly strong in this country and they'll find a way to bring it down.

[StaggerLee]

Canada has a burgeoning biotechnology industry that the government is doing its best to promote, so it'll be close, but I think it has a chance of passing. The Bloc and NDP will support it en masse, and I would expect and bunch of Liberals and even a few Conservatives will voted in favour of it unless their parties tell them to do otherwise.

If it passes it will may well mean the end of GMOs on grocery store shelves, as the law reads that such products would have to be in clearly marked genetically modified sections of the store. (The second reading of the bill is here.) GMO crops would likely still be grown in Canada for export to the US, and for animal feed, as the bill does not require animals fed with GMOs to be labelled.

Sure hope the bill passes.

[Ms Zimmy]

I think that there will always be a small population that would rather eat cheap food then good food. I think that frozen GM foods would still have a place in our markets...but it would be harder to keep fresh produce.

I am praying this Bill goes through. It would bring such interesting changes.

[Hux]

If you want to watch the last hour of debate on this Bill before it is voted on (which if successful will send it to the Health Committee for study) tune into CPAC on Monday, May 5th, 11:00am-12:00.

[Hux]

Bill was defeated FYI.

[Ms.Huxtable]

Ah genenetically altered crap.

[Ms Zimmy]

I know it was. I lose hope.

[AdamH]

I win I win! But we all lose!