Photo: Courtesy of Wikipedia.com
H.R. 1599, a bill sponsored by Mike Pompeo (R-KS) under the deceptive name of the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, was introduced in March 2015 that called for an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. If put into effect, the bill would prevent the FDA from requiring the labeling of bioengineered foods. In a press release, Pompeo defended the bill stating that “GMOs are safe and have a number of important benefits for people and our planet.” This raises a question that begs to be answered: If GMOs are as safe as he proclaims them to be, then why object to the mandatory labeling of its presence in food?
The bill passed House approval on July 23rd 2015 and is now awaiting consideration by the Senate. On February 25th at 10 a.m. a Senate committee, led by Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, will gather to discuss the drafting of a national GMO labeling bill.
Those opposed to H.R. 1599 have come up with a more suitable name for the bill: the Deny Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act. Renowned chef Tom Colicchio is just one among the many in strong opposition of H.R. 1599. Coliccio is the cofounder and board member of Food Policy Action, a group formed in 2012 for the purpose of holding legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming.
In direct response to the bill, Coliccio said “Senator Roberts’ ridiculous new version of the DARK Act would deny us the right to know what’s in our food and how it’s grown — the same right held by consumers in 64 other nations. Consumers should be trusted to decide their own food choices, but Senator Roberts apparently thinks Washington knows best. This is exactly the sort of crony capitalism that voters across the country are rejecting.”
Coliccio has started a petition online for chefs and restaurant owners to sign to show solidarity by rejecting the DARK Act.
-by James Baginski
