BRATTLEBORO — As a parent, I am responsible for ensuring the health and well-being of my family. From the time my first child was born, I have chosen locally grown food as much as possible.
But as a busy working mom, I also take shortcuts and buy convenience foods like tortillas, ice cream, and frozen waffles from the grocery store.
I was amazed to learn recently that genetically engineered (GE) foods are now in approximately 70 to 80 percent of all processed food in the United States (according to VTRightToKnow.org). A number of independent studies show that GE foods pose threats to our health and the environment.
Until the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have conducted adequate safety testing, I want to know what I am putting in my growing child's mouth. It's a no-brainer to label foods that have been genetically modified.
The Vermont Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Act (H. 112) would give Vermonters the facts about whether the foods we buy contain GE ingredients. I urge our legislators to step up and pass this bill, and I urge Governor Peter Shumlin to sign it into law.
I have a right to be informed. Without accurate information, the food choices I make for my family are not really choices at all.