They have been used extensively in many countries as the basis for legislation and regulation involving the promotion of consumer welfare. Regrettably however, these very same rights are the same ones being trampled upon by food manufacturers and corporations when they fail or refuse to inform the consuming public about the presence of genetically manipulated ingredients in their products. Four of these basic rights are especially relevant to the GE issue. A precautionary approach to public health and safety necessitates that where risks are unknown, such products or processes should not be deployed into the open. Companies and food producers should realize that consumers may not be willing to sacrifice long-term issues of health and safety just to allow corporations to swiftly introduce new and unknown foods to the market before regulators have a chance to catch up.
Information is no guarantee for safety.
But full information about a product would enable and assist consumers who would want to take a precautionary approach in their food choices to do so. Labeling could also be used to trace and identify possible sources of any subsequent health problems arising from the consumption of a food product. Moreover, failure to provide information is considered a breach of fair trade. According to Consumers International, absence of labeling is a misleading, deceptive and unfair trade practice which could bring detrimental results to sectors of the food industry. Once released, the potential for genetic pollution and damage to ecosystems cannot be underestimated.