GMO foods should not be required to be labeled

Hello and thank you for accepting. im very, very new to this site and look forward to this debate. currently in Vermont,america there is a legal battle underway between the state of Vermont and, The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Snack Food Association, International Dairy Foods Association and the National Association of Manufacturers, over a recently approved labeling law.The labeling law, which was approved earlier this year, requires labeling of GM foods sold in Vermont retail outlets as "produced with genetic engineering." The bill also stipulates that GM foods may not be labeled as "natural," "naturally grown," "all natural" or other similar phrases.[1] the plaintiff organisations complain, "that the law is misguided, exceeds the state's authority and confuses consumers by suggesting that GMOs are unsafe with no evidence to support that. The lawsuit alleges the law violates food manufacturers' First Amendment rights by forcing them to label a product in a way they find unnecessary and misleading while also prohibiting them from using the word "natural" on genetically modified foods." [2] "The state argued," the state may make labeling restrictions to promote "informed decision-making on matters of public health and the environment."The state also argues that the law steers clear of violating interstate commerce, as the labeling adds no burden that outweighs the benefits.Pointing to two court cases, Sorrell argues that federal courts have upheld New York City's law requiring the posting of calories on menus and a federal law requiring country-of-origin labels on meat on the premise that the laws allow consumers to make more informed choices."[2] firstly lets look at what kind of information is included in the nutritional information or labeling of a packet and why. 1. Things that causes common allergies such as nuts,seeds,diary etc. These are labeled because a large percentage of people suffer allergies to these products that can causes mild to severe reactions and even death. 2.Things such as vitamin content,saturated fat content, calories,sodium,carbohydrates etc. all these and the other items listed in the nutritional information can have either positive or negative effects on one's health relative to the dietary requirements of the consumer. things such as saturated fat are food which are converted into energy and although they can be unhealthy, they can be consumed within a healthy range. so they are allowed to be included in food, providing the content amount is included in the labeling so that consumers can ensure they are eating them and anything else in amounts which are healthy. 3. Things like "gluten free:,"organic",all natural", are included in labeling as sales pitches. they target a certain demographic of shopper and are making that shopper aware that this product is designed with them in mind. It implies that the quality advertised makes them better then other products out there. Other forms of labeling exist to but the main reasons are for dietary reasons,allergen information,or to target particular demographics. So to justify the labeling of GMO or genetically modified organisms it must be proven that there is a significant need to. such as that the amount consumed has an effect on diet. or that people suffer allergic reactions to it. i argue that the right to make informed choices in it's self is not a valid argument. There are many different cultures,beliefs, and religions with their own dietary requirements based around their own philosophy. It is up the individual to fulfill the requirements or desires of their lifestyle and belief system and is not the responsibility of private business, who have the right to cater or not cater to anyone they please. Probably the biggest reasons proponents of the law want labeling is the belief that GMO's have a negative impact on health and therefore need to avoid GMO's for the sake of their health. And the second biggest reason is the belief that GMO's have or will have a negative effect on the environment,world food supply, the well being of farmers and the larger population and therefore opponents of GMO foods wish for labeling so that they can more easily boycott GMO's i propose that if i can prove that GMO's are not harmful to humans, or the environment then it is unjust to label GMO's. because if they are safe and their consumption does not effect diet differently than organic products, then the choice not to eat them is only based on personal ideology of which a private organisation has no responsibility to cater to. And also it is unjust to use the government to help a particular group boycott a particular company or product which is essentially what the labeling law would encourage or aid. [1] http://farmfutures.com... [2] http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com...