Where You Stand ON GMO Food Labeling Depends On Your View Of GMO Safety

The debate over labeling foods containing genetically modified ingredients rages on, with some states requiring it, others rejecting it, and the FDA firmly on the fence. Center for Food Safety head Andrew Kimbrell says consumers have a basic right to know what they’re eating. And that includes the right to choose “whether or not to purchase foods produced through genetic engineering.” But Penn State University professor Nina Fedoroff argues that GMO labeling is a “terrible idea” that will only make food more expensive without providing consumers any useful information. At the core of her argument is the belief that GMO foods are basically safe, a conclusion not shared by Kimbrell. He says no one really knows whether “tinkering with a plant’s DNA” could make a nontoxic plant toxic “or have other unintended impacts.”