Senate Poised to Pass Bill Taking Away Your Right to Know What's in Your Food
El_Kabong
Posts: 4,141
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2752
Senate Poised to Pass Bill Taking Away Your Right to Know What's in Your Food
Tell your Senator to vote "No" on the "National Uniformity for Food Act"
The House of Representatives has passed a controversial "national food uniformity" labeling law that would take away local government and states' power to require food safety food labels such as those required in California and other states on foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. This bill would also prevent citizens in local municipalities and states from passing laws requiring that genetically engineered foods and ingredients such as Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) be labeled.
The Senate will soon be voting on this bill which would gut state food safety and labeling laws. The "National Uniformity for Food Act," lowers the bar on food safety by overturning state food safety laws that are not "identical" to federal law. Hundreds of state laws and regulations are at risk, including those governing the safety of milk, fish, and shellfish. The bill is being pushed by large supermarket chains and food manufacturers, spearheaded by the powerful Grocery Manufacturers of America.
Big food corporations and the biotech industry understand that consumers are more and more concerned about food safety, genetic engineering, and chemical-intensive agriculture, and are reading labels more closely. They understand that pesticide and mercury residues and hazardous technologies such as genetic engineering and food irradiation will be rejected if there are truthful labels required on food products. This industry-sponsored bill is gaining momentum and must be stopped! Act now! Preserve local and regional democracy and protect yourself and your family from unsafe food by sending an email or calling your Senator.
Read full text of the bill here) and Take action below the following news headlines...
Senate Poised to Pass Bill Taking Away Your Right to Know What's in Your Food
Tell your Senator to vote "No" on the "National Uniformity for Food Act"
The House of Representatives has passed a controversial "national food uniformity" labeling law that would take away local government and states' power to require food safety food labels such as those required in California and other states on foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. This bill would also prevent citizens in local municipalities and states from passing laws requiring that genetically engineered foods and ingredients such as Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) be labeled.
The Senate will soon be voting on this bill which would gut state food safety and labeling laws. The "National Uniformity for Food Act," lowers the bar on food safety by overturning state food safety laws that are not "identical" to federal law. Hundreds of state laws and regulations are at risk, including those governing the safety of milk, fish, and shellfish. The bill is being pushed by large supermarket chains and food manufacturers, spearheaded by the powerful Grocery Manufacturers of America.
Big food corporations and the biotech industry understand that consumers are more and more concerned about food safety, genetic engineering, and chemical-intensive agriculture, and are reading labels more closely. They understand that pesticide and mercury residues and hazardous technologies such as genetic engineering and food irradiation will be rejected if there are truthful labels required on food products. This industry-sponsored bill is gaining momentum and must be stopped! Act now! Preserve local and regional democracy and protect yourself and your family from unsafe food by sending an email or calling your Senator.
Read full text of the bill here) and Take action below the following news headlines...
standin above the crowd
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
I knew this would happen once those blasted Dems took control.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
D or R, it's all the same.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
from my window to yours
Furthermore, if all the states currently have their own regulations, then you're already just seeing what is required by those laws to be provided.
Perhaps in some cases the national law might actually require MORE info than certain states already do...?
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
well, it's cheaper...there some federal laws which require the state law to demonstrate their law achieves the goal of the federal law...or does it better...when it comes to food labeling, i am sure this is the case.
i want to know what is in my food. there should not be a standard limiting what is to be disclosed...there should be a standard requiring the disclosure of ALL things.
from my window to yours
The Federal Government - Our babysitter
Fuck that!!
we are forced to know the laws of the states which we are in...there is no room to say that corporations cannot investigate the laws to which they must conform. as it stands, the state laws are nearly identical to the federal law...that means, generally, that the only thing different is wording...the outcome is still the same...
this is something that the federal government should control...because of the mobility of our citizenry...this should be consistent...and not haphazardly different among states.
from my window to yours
all sold to the highest bidder
going once...going twice...SOLD!
from my window to yours
I would think that, if anything, state laws will tend to be more strict than the federal one and they should certainly have the right to require more info on labels sold in their state than the feds require. If there was some state that somehow managed to pass a law lessening label requirements - so be it, thats their choice.
"I would rather die on my feet than to live on my knees."
Emiliano Zapata
But there already are standards. They are defined by the states.
That's why I don't understand what's wrong with this bill. Just because there will now be an overriding Federal standard, does not mean that there suddenly won't be any info on the packaging. Heck, there might be more info in a lot of situations.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
the problem is cost...if the federal law lessens the requirements, the states will follow...if the states are not guided by the federal law via cooperative federalism...
i clearly said that this is one of those situations where the federal government needs to maintain high standards because of the nature of the regulation.
we're talking about the health and welfare of the population...if a state wants to impose a fine for murder instead of jail-time then that's their business. but, we're talking about something that effects the nation as a whole as opposed to the state. why? if the federal standard minimizes that which is to be disclosed, then the states follow...all food shipped interstate will lack disclosure...the nation is left in the dark about what is or is not in their food.
i'm sorry...you have a lot more faith in people if you want to trust your state to disclose such information when they are not directed to do so by some higher overseeing entity.
from my window to yours
it's the classic race to the bottom...it's about cost...without true oversight, the states will shirk their responsibility to their citizens.
from my window to yours
You seem to have too much faith that the feds will maintain a high standard, rather than caving to special interests as is usual.
wrong!! the law lets them lie on the label and omit what they please,also they can label non-organic food as organic,also the FDA would MAKE STATES comply with the company making said product.California has some of the best labeling laws and people are up in arms.
"I would rather die on my feet than to live on my knees."
Emiliano Zapata
Read the original post a little slower and think about what it says and what it doesn't say (remember, it's presenting only 1 side).
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
i don't have faith in them...i want the states to decide...i think there is a norm now which must be reached and some states go above that...but, with a new standard set, such as the one proposed, states will race to that standard...and leave us in the dark.
from my window to yours
Any company that finds the California rules too cumbersome is, of course, free to refrain from doing business in California.
Somebody's getting paid some serious bling
thank you...i'm starting to get angry...i want to know what's in my food...the federal government should be placing higher standards on food labeling...not limiting the standard.
from my window to yours
Are you saying big business runs our government? That's not true, is it? :rolleyes:
perhaps, but are products labeled that have gmo's? rgbh? sure, i can research and find out if certain brands do but what's wrong w/ just making it clear? i don't see the reason in not labeling such things, i'm sure lots of ppl would like to know
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way