Scientists for regulatory agencies in the European Union, Canada, Japan and Australia, plus the World Health Organisation, have also studied any possible risks - and have determined that the GMOs that are on the market today are safe for human health. Another reason why American consumers have generally accepted these products is that they aren't really anything new. All plant breeding involves the genetic manipulation of plants. Virtually all of the agricultural products sold and consumed have been altered by this kind of cross-breeding. Genetically modified foods are as safe as the original plants from which the genes were taken.
Every country has the right and the responsibility to establish a policy of food labelling.
Since May 1998, the European Union has required the labelling of GMO products as such. However, for the reasons I have just outlined, the United States has taken a different position. We believe, for example, that a type of corn that has been genetically modified to resist drought is no different from a hybrid corn developed to give higher yields, and therefore requires no special label. As we seek to meet this common goal, we should open channels of communication, share our scientific findings and isolate our decisions from politics and emotion. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.