Transcript Document

California Right to Know
Genetically Engineered Food Act
Yes on Prop 37!
July 2012
Prop 37 Basics
• Simple labeling initiative is about consumers’
fundamental right to know what’s in our food.
• People want to know if food is genetically engineered
and have a right to this information.
• 49 countries have labeling laws including all of
Europe, China, Japan, Russia and India (in Jan 2013)
Need for Prop 37
• Part of larger movement for transparency in food system
and growing demand for info about what we buy and eat
• Will allow people to make informed food choices
• Having this info can help us track and study health effects
of genetically engineered foods
– FDA doesn’t require genetically engineered food safety studies
and no long-term human health studies have been done
– A growing body of science links GE food to allergies and other
health risks (toxic effects on liver and kidney).
– Experts around the world agree that labeled GE food can help
ID any adverse health reactions these foods may cause
Polling
Huge majority of people from both parties & across all
demographics want genetically engineered foods to be
labeled:
• 93% of Americans want labeling*
• 81% of Voters want to know whether their food
contains GE ingredients**
• 91% of Voters want FDA to require labeling**
• 91% of California Voters want labeling***
*Thompson Reuters
**Mellman Group, January 2012
***CBS, April 2012
History
• Proposition drafted, delivered to Attorney General in late
December
• Received Title and Summary in late January to gather
signatures
• Huge and unprecedented effort of volunteers – many of
them moms and grandmothers – petitioned to get this on
the ballot.
• Delivered almost a million signatures (971,000) to Secretary
of State in early May; nearly twice as many required
• Secretary of State certified measure in June, assigned
proposition number in July
• Election is November 6, 2012
Proposition
• Requires food companies to label foods that contain
GE ingredients with the statement: “Partially
Produced with Genetic Engineering” or “May be
Partially Produced with Genetic Engineering”
• For whole foods (fish, corn), stores would post a
label on the shelf saying “genetically engineered”
• Prohibits GE foods from being advertised as “natural”
What are Genetically
Engineered Foods?
• Crops that have had DNA artificially altered by genes
from other plants, viruses or bacteria. This type of
genetic modification occurs in labs, not in nature.
• Includes common food crops like corn (88%), soy
(94%), sugar beets (95%) and cotton (93%).
Processed foods containing these crops -- i.e., made
with corn syrup, soy sauce, cottonseed oil -- would
have to be labeled.
Exemptions
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Certified organic foods
Animal products, unless the animal is genetically engineered
Alcohol
Medical food
Foods verified by a third party that food contains no
genetically engineered ingredient above the global standard
• Food immediately consumed (restaurants, delis, bake sales)
Included to make law more practical and to focus on
most commonly eaten GE foods: processed foods
When Act Becomes Law
• Effective July 2014
• Companies have 18 months to change their labels.
• Enforcement is by Department of Public Health, AG’s
office and consumers
Frequently Asked Questions
• Will consumers pay more for foods that are labeled?
– No. Prop 37 entails adding a few words to existing labels &
companies have 18 months to change labels, which they
typically do in that time frame anyway.
• Will product testing need to be done before labeling change?
– No. Testing is not required for manufacturers or retailers.
• Will we see a rash of lawsuits?
– No. Companies honestly label their products for fat,
calories, allergy information, and there is no reason to
think they won’t also simply comply with this law.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Is the language confusing?
– No. Opponents always say that about ballot initiatives.
Prop 37 is simple and straightforward: it requires labeling
of genetically engineered foods and prohibits those foods
from being marketed as “natural.”
• Will Prop 37 stand up to court challenges?
– Absolutely. The initiative is solid and we are confident it
will stand up to any legal challenges.
• Do states have the right to pass such labeling laws?
– Absolutely. Alaska already has a law requiring labeling for
genetically engineered fish.
Who Opposes Prop 37?
“Stop Costly Food Labeling”
– Led by Tom Hiltachk, a former tobacco industry lobbyist who was the lead
proponent of Prop. 23, the oil-industry funded attempt to suspend California’s
landmark global warming law.
Funded by Washington DC lobby Groups
– Biotech Industry Organization: Monsanto and the big chemical companies
–Grocery Manufacturers Association: defeating Prop 37 is their only priority
this year.
Same big food companies that are already labeling their genetically engineered
food in 49 other countries are planning to spend tens of millions to defeat Prop 37
– all the while claiming that adding a little bit of ink to their labels will force them
to raise the cost of groceries by “hundreds of dollars a year.”
Who Supports Prop 37?
We are proud to have more than
1,000 endorsers of Yes on 37!
Calif. Federation of Labor
Calif. Democratic Party
American Public Health Assn.
United Farm Workers
Public Citizen
Sierra Club
California Cert. Organic Farmers
Organic Consumers Association
Physicians for Social Resp.
Nature’s Path
Lundberg Family Farms
Organic Valley
Dr. Bronner’s
Eden Foods
Mercola.com
Center for Food Safety
Food Democracy Now!
Consumer Federation of America
+ Millions of Consumers!
How You Can Support Us
• Volunteer: education/outreach, fundraising,
talk to media, house parties, phone banking
• Donate
• Join our Social Media Storm! Tweet, Facebook,
Blog, help us reach One Million More
For more information, visit us at
www.carighttoknow.org