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Vermont governor signs GMO food labeling into law
CNN.com ^ | May 8, 2014 | Dana Ford and Lorenzo Ferrigno

Posted on 05/11/2014 12:01:22 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

(CNN) -- Vermont's governor on Thursday signed a bill into law that will require the labeling of genetically modified foods -- hailing it as the first such law in the nation.

Under the new law, food offered for retail sale that is entirely or partially produced with genetic engineering must be labeled as such by July 2016.

"Vermonters take our food and how it is produced seriously, and we believe we have a right to know what's in the food we buy," said Gov. Peter Shumlin. "More than 60 countries have already restricted or labeled these foods, and now one state -- Vermont -- will also ensure that we know what's in the food we buy and serve our families."

In the absence of federal action, other states have introduced similar legislation or ballot initiatives, according to the non-profit Center for Food Safety.

Maine and Connecticut passed laws requiring labeling, but they won't go into effect until other states pass GMO-labeling laws. Vermont is the first to pass a "no strings attached" bill, the watchdog group said.

Supporters of the law expect it will be challenged in court.

"I can make no predictions or promises about how the courts will ultimately rule but I can promise that my office will mount a vigorous and zealous defense of the law that has so much support from Vermont consumers," said Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell.

The governor tweeted: "Those opposed will put up a fight. Help us fight back."

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Vermont
KEYWORDS: agriculture; cancer; canolaoil; chemicalfood; connecticut; corn; food; gmo; gmolabeling; health; hfcs; kidneydisase; maine; monsanto; montpelier; nannystate; nutrition; roundup; soy; vermont
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To: 9YearLurker
They have been. That genie is out of the bottle, and I don't believe it can be contained.

So put a label on everything that it 'May contain GMO ingredients', and call it a day.

That'll help.

/johnny

101 posted on 05/11/2014 3:19:57 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: driftdiver
I no longer work in the food industry.

But as was pointed out... when everyone labels everything with 'May contain GMO ingredients' so they can comply with the mandate... what will you have then?

/johnny

102 posted on 05/11/2014 3:21:35 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Orangedog
You act as if I care about the companies. If they go out of business, others will take their place.

/johnny

103 posted on 05/11/2014 3:23:23 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: 9YearLurker
It is a mistake that we’ve allowed GMOs in this country at all.

If it's true that we are entering a new ice age, and I believe it is, you'll be eating GMO with gusto.

So will your children and grandchildren, as the alternative, starving to death, won't be as attractive.

104 posted on 05/11/2014 3:24:23 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (Want to keep your doctor? Remove your Democrat Senator.)
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To: nomad
Take solace in the fact the public is going to make this happen.

Very little legislation actually accomplishes what was intended. Usually, it results in unintended consequences.

As will happen when everyone labels everything 'May contain GMO ingredients' so they comply. They already do that with peanuts, with the label 'May contain peanuts'.

Doesn't get you much in the end, except more government.

/johnny

105 posted on 05/11/2014 3:26:25 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: driftdiver
"So you’re lying to prevent an impact to sales?"

Sorry, I don't understand this. I'm not lying about anything.

106 posted on 05/11/2014 3:33:42 PM PDT by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

This Vermont move is complete idiocy.

The advocates of such measures are completely ignorant.

Let’s start at the basic facts: all organisms are genetically modified. They have been modified (without government supervision or approval) for hundreds of millions of years through evolution.

Next, humans have been genetically modifying food crops and farm animals by selective breeding for thousands of years.

Finally, humans have also been evolving. Much of that evolution is by mate-selection. But even if you do not believe in evolution, you can still see that children are always genetically modified from their parents. People do not clone themselves!

Our own species has been genetically modified considerably since breaking off from our ape relatives in the Miocene Epoch. I wish the governor of Vermont could meet my own genetically unmodified Miocene ancestor: that ancestor would have long canines, and would probably bite him. Of course, maybe he would not mind, because a Miocene ancestor would also have a small brain, and would likely affiliate with the Democratic Party.

So, in principle, I have nothing against GMOs, being a genetically modified organism myself.


107 posted on 05/11/2014 3:35:12 PM PDT by docbnj
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To: JRandomFreeper
I'm saying keep the government out of it

But what's happening is the same old crony capitalism. A big industry buys and pays for a bunch of reps. and senators in DC and gets what they want.

People have a right to information and it is a role of government to require that sellers provide basic information to buyers, whether you like it or not.

Sellers will lie to buyers. Sellers will tell the good about their products and say nothing about the bad. We have the term "Snake Oil Salesman" for a reason, and the term "full disclosure" is very relevant in areas other than the financial statements of publicly traded companies. Maybe you also don't like government required independent audits of publicly traded companies?

Or maybe you also think publicly traded companies should not be required to disclose information to investors? Every investor should be required to gather his own financial information? And government should require no particular disclosures of information?

Food is publicly traded, also.

You and several others here are talking nonsense. Requiring the disclosure of basic information by sellers to buyers is a legitimate role of government. But all too often that's corrupted by crony capitalism. i.e., legalized bribery. There need to be more disclosure, not fewer.

108 posted on 05/11/2014 3:36:56 PM PDT by Will88
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To: JRandomFreeper

The peanuts labeling saves lives of those who would die from anaphylaxis if they did eat them. But the other statement stands. I tried to debate with you before on this very issue and you didn`t wish to argue the science of cross species transgenics, or cross pollination from GMO to non, or the increasing traces of Glyphosate in our food chain, why restart now? Just know YOU WILL LOSE THIS ISSUE, get your hissy fit spot ready for your tantrum! No further replies will be made, have a nice day.


109 posted on 05/11/2014 3:36:59 PM PDT by nomad
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To: nomad

This is the result of well intentioned legislation. A warning about peanut butter containing peanuts.

/johnny

110 posted on 05/11/2014 3:38:58 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

No, that let’s the stupidity continue.

Far better for these little state-level laws to cause enough problems to make the use of GMO products more and more onerous. They need to be stopped.

Putting the same label on all food is worse than no solution at all.


111 posted on 05/11/2014 3:42:35 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Will88
People have a right to information and it is a role of government to require that sellers provide basic information to buyers

That's missing from Art 1, Section 8 in my copy of the Constitution.

How did we make it as a country for over a century without those laws?

Fraud covers sellers lying. It's already illegal.

See the photo above. That's what well intentioned legislation leads to.

/johnny

112 posted on 05/11/2014 3:42:39 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: 9YearLurker

*lets*


113 posted on 05/11/2014 3:43:32 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Balding_Eagle

A little Freeper climate hysteria to sell the GMO abomination?


114 posted on 05/11/2014 3:44:28 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: 9YearLurker
Putting the same label on all food is worse than no solution at all.

It's what is going to happen. Like it or not.

/johnny

115 posted on 05/11/2014 3:44:56 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

We’ll see.


116 posted on 05/11/2014 3:47:02 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Next, there will be warnings about which foods contribute to “global warming”. This just all goes to prove how stupid we have become.


117 posted on 05/11/2014 3:49:15 PM PDT by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Are!)
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To: 9YearLurker
What else can happen? Will the companies that you hate spend a bunch of money doing the research and documentation that you want? Or will they just slap a label "May Contain GMO ingredients" on everything and call it good?

Fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders (your 401K) requires them to meet the government requirements at minimal cost.

/johnny

118 posted on 05/11/2014 3:49:45 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

“A warning about peanut butter containing peanuts.”

Just more proof how stupid we have become. Next, ladders with gravity warnin...never mind, they already have “you can fall” warnings already.


119 posted on 05/11/2014 3:50:52 PM PDT by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Are!)
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To: CodeToad
First world problems.

In the third world, they don't care so much whether the first food they've seen in a week is GMO or not...

/johnny

120 posted on 05/11/2014 3:53:24 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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