Silver Spring, MD – The American Nurses Association (ANA) has joined a coalition urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to label foods that have been genetically engineered. ANA, along with nearly 400 other groups representing health professionals, consumer and environmental advocates, parents, farmers and businesses, believes people have a right to know what’s in their food. The Just Label It campaign (www.justlabelit.org) is demanding that the FDA require labels on foods produced using genetic engineering.
ANA has been a vocal advocate in the issue of food policy. The association co-authored Principles of a Healthy Food System, which supports socially, economically and ecologically sustainable food systems that promote health, the current and future health of individuals, communities and the natural environment.
Everyone has a right to know what’s in the foods they eat. Tell the FDA to label genetically engineered foods; please send your comments to the FDA.
The ANA is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation's 3.1 million registered nurses through its constituent and state nurses associations and its organizational affiliates. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
Marketing, marketing. If people (general public) believe 'organic' and 'all natural' make foods better, then a 'GMO' label might give them pause about buying that product, too. Sales will plummet, IMO. That is a business concern not based on science.
I don't know one way or the other, in spite of all I read. I do have concerns about hormones and antibiotics in my meats, but my budget says WalMart. So, that's where I go to purchase groceries, and I don't even LIKE WalMart. I go on eating beef and chicken and drinking milk readily available, and not going out of my way to shop at Health Food Stores, which do cost more. So, that is MY 'informed' decision. I need the $aving$ now and can't afford to be self-righteous about my purchases. I will eat as 'healthily' as I can, and do not often eat at fast-food chains.
Even the Health-Food Gurus of the 60's and 70's who were at the forefront of the Organic movement admitted to going to MacDonalds once in a while.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Marketing, marketing. If people (general public) believe 'organic' and 'all natural' make foods better, then a 'GMO' label might give them pause about buying that product, too. Sales will plummet, IMO. That is a business concern not based on science.
I don't know one way or the other, in spite of all I read. I do have concerns about hormones and antibiotics in my meats, but my budget says WalMart. So, that's where I go to purchase groceries, and I don't even LIKE WalMart. I go on eating beef and chicken and drinking milk readily available, and not going out of my way to shop at Health Food Stores, which do cost more. So, that is MY 'informed' decision. I need the $aving$ now and can't afford to be self-righteous about my purchases. I will eat as 'healthily' as I can, and do not often eat at fast-food chains.
Even the Health-Food Gurus of the 60's and 70's who were at the forefront of the Organic movement admitted to going to MacDonalds once in a while.
Here are some facts that may make you feel better. ALL milk and dairy products are free of antibiotics. Dairy cattle are NEVER fed antibiotics and only receive them in the case of an illness and then the milk from that cow is dumped fro a specific period of time (how long depends on the antibiotic used) and then the milk is tested for antibiotic residues before it is allowed to be blended with the milk of the other cows on that farm. Every single tank of milk at every (Grade A) farm IS tested EVERY day for antibiotics, as is every tanker full that arrives at the plant. Also ALL milk is rBST free. Posilac, the Monsanto product that was in use for a while on a small number of farms was pulled from the market in 2011 for lack of sales. Dairy cows are not fed, or injected with hormones either.
Since most ground beef is made from dairy cows rather than beef cattle it is the least likely to have been given hormones.
Also beef cattle are never fed antibiotics, but may, or may not have hormone implants in their ears to increase growth rates. Buying organic beef is no assurance that the animal was not implanted with growth hormones.
We raise our own meat. But if we didn't I would buy from a local farmer who was happy to show you his production methods.
That is the question I asked. If you don't know the answer just say so.
Why ask me? Did I say it was awful?
I've already said that I don't feel I have enough information to have a strong opinion either way. But your statement to which I was responding sounded (to me) like you were saying that if the concerns aren't legitimate, then people aren't entitled to have the information about the content of the foods they purchase. You make a comparison to the vaccine "debate." I agree with your "all hype and no data" characterization. But, even in that case, which is very clear-cut, people are able to find out what ingredients, including preservatives, are present in vaccination. The ingredients aren't kept secret. Thanks to a lot of effort and expense by the GMO community, that is not the case with GMO ingredients in the food we purchase and eat.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I
've already said that I don't feel I have enough information to have a strong opinion either way. But your statement to which I was responding sounded (to me) like you were saying that if the concerns aren't legitimate, then people aren't entitled to have the information about the content of the foods they purchase.
I was asking a question, not making a statement. You can tell by the "?" mark at the end of the sentences. A question I don't know the answer to and was seeking information. I know you already stated YOU didn't have enough information, but this forum is read by other people, some of whom I thought might know the answer to and be able to direct me to information.
You make a comparison to the vaccine "debate."
I didn't make the comparison, I asked if it was a similar comparison. Hence the "?" at the end of the sentence.
I agree with your "all hype and no data" characterization. But, even in that case, which is very clear-cut, people are able to find out what ingredients, including preservatives, are present in vaccination. The ingredients aren't kept secret. Thanks to a lot of effort and expense by the GMO community, that is not the case with GMO ingredients in the food we purchase and eat.
Their point is a legitimate one. In order to label them GMO products a VAST tracking and accounting system, and billions in new facilities would have to be built. And not built my rich corporations, but rather by small family farmers, farmers who turned to GMP crops in the first places in an attempt to make a decent living for their family.
To give you an idea. When I was a full time dairy farmer I had a gross income of about $250K. In my best year I was able to keep $24K for family living expenses. Most years it was much less, one year it was only $11K. To make that I worked 12-18 hours a day most days. Hard manual labor, risky work.
If there is some risk or difference in GMP food then there should be labeling. If not then who the label?
I understand that, for small family farms, farming is very hard work for little compensation, and I'm sympathetic to the challenges they face and appreciative of their efforts. Although I've never farmed myself, I've lived in a rural area and known many small scale farmers, most of my adult life, as well as having relatives who have had family farms. Thank you for clarifying that you don't believe the public has any right to know what ingredients are in the food we purchase because of the expense involved.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
I understand that, for small family farms, farming is very hard work for little compensation, and I'm sympathetic to the challenges they face and appreciative of their efforts. Although I've never farmed myself, I've lived in a rural area and known many small scale farmers, most of my adult life, as well as having relatives who have had family farms. Thank you for clarifying that you don't believe the public has any right to know what ingredients are in the food we purchase because of the expense involved.
I don't believe PMFB's post was about believing the public has or hasn't got a right to know. I read it as explaining the huge problems involved with tracking and accommodating a particular solution that may or may not be called for.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Thank you for clarifying that you don't believe the public has any right to know what ingredients are in the food we purchase because of the expense involved.
You have leapt to an inaccurate conclusion unsupported by what I have said.
Personally I support labeling GMO products, but only because I'd prefer not to buy non-GMO products. GMO products need less water, less fertilizer, less pesticides, less herbacides, etc. I've never really understood how anyone who is pro-environment can be anti-GMO.
If there is some risk or difference in GMP food then there should be labeling. If not then who the label?
I apologize for misinterpreting your post. I admit I have some trouble figuring out what exactly you meant by "If not then who the label?" However, what caught my eye was your qualification of "if there is some risk or difference in GMP food then there should labeling," which seem to pretty clearly imply that you feel that there doesn't need to be labeling otherwise (who defines "risk or difference"?) There are lots of ingredients in our food that have been determined to not represent any kind of "risk" (or they wouldn't be allowed in food) that still have to be listed on the labels. I don't see why this should be any different.
BostonFNP, APRN
2 Articles; 5,584 Posts
I only eat food without Mendelian genetics.
Klümper, W., & Qaim, M. (2014). A Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops. PloS one, 9(11), e111629.
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