Yet the more information we gather, studies we read, and scientific debates we monitor, the more convinced we become that those claims are overblown at best and that the science of biotechnology is lurching forward far too rapidly and with neither adequate study nor precaution. The lack of rigorous, independent study and government regulation heightens our concern. A rising chorus of scientists, academics, and ethicists is voicing alarm at this exploding, and largely uncharted, technology. We think there are better alternatives to solving challenges in agriculture, and the public should have a say in how the technology is used and developed. The public's say is critical.
Consumers have no way to know when they are eating genetically altered foods.
That's because the Food and Drug Administration has chosen not to classify alien genes as food additives and therefore does not require that they be listed on food labels. A bag of corn chips, for instance, must disclose that salt has been added, but it need not reveal that the corn itself has been genetically manipulated to contain its own pesticide. Without labeling, there's no way to trace any health effects, and there is no way to protect consumers. The European Union has banned virtually all genetically altered corn imports, effectively freezing out all U.S. corn until recently because modified varieties were not separated from the rest of the crop. Japan is demanding labeling of genetically engineered foods.