House Agriculture Committee to Hold Meeting on GMO Labeling

Committee Invites Experts on GMOs as First Step in Considering Legislation

WHAT: On Monday, October 6th, The Pennsylvania House Committee on Agriculture & Rural Affairs will hold a Public Informational Meeting on the issue of genetically engineered food. The Committee meeting is the first move forward for legislation to label genetically engineered food, or GMOs, which has amassed over 60 cosponsors in the House of Representatives.

Members of the Agriculture Committee will be joined by supportive Representatives from outside the committee, as well as consumers and farmers from around the state attending the meeting to show their support for GMO labeling legislation.

The event will be held at 10:00 AM at the Main Capitol Building, Room 140, in Harrisburg

WHO: Confirmed speakers for the action include:
David Mortensen, PhD, Professor of Weed and Applied Plant Ecology, Penn State University
Stephanie Seneff, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Chuck Benbrook, Research Professor, Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources

WHEN: Monday, October 6, 2014

WHERE: Main Capitol Room 140
Harrisburg, PA 17120

About Genetically Engineered Food:
Genetic engineering is a technique that selects and combines individual genetic traits from two non-related organisms, forcibly injecting them into a third “host” species. The products obtained from this technology are commonly called genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Completely different from age-old farming techniques of hybridization (such as cross-pollination or grafting), genetic engineering is a process completely outside of nature.
Crops are genetically engineered to withstand direct application of an herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Today, about 95% of all corn (both feed and sweet corn), canola, soy, and sugar beets are GMO. Products synthesized from these plants (corn, soybean, and canola oils, soy lecithin, soy protein, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, cornstarch, etc.) are found in virtually every packaged food in a supermarket. Since industrially raised livestock are fed a corn & soy feed, products derived from livestock (meat, eggs, milk, cheese, etc.) are also laced with GMOs and pesticide residues. People eat GMO foods everyday, usually without their knowledge.
Genetically engineered ingredients have been present in our food supply since the mid 1990’s. Over 60 countries either ban or label genetically engineered ingredients in foods.
In the United States, there is no federal regulations mandating labeling, however several states are introducing legislation, Vermont, Connecticut and Maine have all labeling laws.
In October 2013, Representative Peter Daley (D-49) introduced House Bill 1770 which would require labeling of genetically engineered ingredients in food sold in Pennsylvania. This bill has been sitting in the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee and now has 61 cosponsors, with Democrats and Republicans from across the state showing their support. A Senate Bill (SB 653) introduced by Senator Daylin Leach in March 2013 is also sitting in the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee and currently has 17 co- sponsors.

Webpage with more details: http://www.gmofreepa.org
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/293902137468631/