Editorial: No labels: Genetic paranoia comes to NH

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Seabrook Rep. Max Abramson helped organize a contest to find New Hampshire’s dumbest law, and repeal it.

But he’s also trying to create a new dumb law.

Abramson is sponsoring legislation to require food manufacturers to label genetically engineered foods, or ingredients known as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
We’ve been alternating the genetics of our food for millennia through selective breeding.

There is no evidence that genetic engineering represents any threat to public health. The campaign against the practice is fueled by unscientific paranoia.
Consumers who care about such things can find out what’s in their food more easily than ever before, allowing them to make informed choices.

While almost all processed foods contain genetically engineered ingredients, companies can market to customers looking for alternatives. Putting a GMO-free label on their product would be far more helpful to consumers than forcing every food maker in the county to place a scary “Produced with Genetic Engineering” label on their packaging.
Imposing such stringent labeling requirements in a small state like ours will limit choices to New Hampshire shoppers. It would be a costly and unnecessary regulation for big food companies, and a burden not worth tackling for smaller competitors. Many would simply chose not to distribute their produce in New Hampshire.
Abramson’s move to trim back New Hampshire’s outdated laws is a good idea. His effort to impose new labeling requirements based on Luddite fears is not.

See more at: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20160131/OPINION01/160139936/-1/opinion01#sthash.ZOrIt97P.dpuf