The House of Representatives will vote this week on a controversial "national food uniformity" labeling law that will take away local government and states' power to require food safety labels such as those required in California and other states on foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. This bill would also prevent citizens in local municipalities and states from passing laws requiring that genetically engineered foods and ingredients such as Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) be labeled.
The House will vote March 2, 2006 on a bill that would gut state food safety and labeling laws. H.R. 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act," lowers the bar on food safety by overturning state food safety laws that are not "identical" to federal law. Hundreds of state laws and regulations are at risk, including those governing the safety of milk, fish, and shellfish. The bill is being pushed by large supermarket chains and food manufacturers, spearheaded by the powerful Grocery Manufacturers of America.
Big food corporations and the biotech industry understand that consumers are more and more concerned about food safety, genetic engineering, and chemical-intensive agriculture, and are reading labels more closely. They understand that pesticide and mercury residues and hazardous technologies such as genetic engineering and food irradiation will be rejected if there are truthful labels required on food products. Industry-sponsored H.R. 4167 is gaining momentum and must be stopped! Act now! Preserve local and regional democracy and protect yourself and your family from unsafe food by sending an email or calling your Representative and urging them to vote "No" on H.R. 4167.
Please Take Action Now -- Send a Message to Your Congress Member in the House of Representatives to Vote "No" on H.R. 4167. Visit http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/labeling.cfm (scroll down to bottom of the page to the form).
And please call your Congress Member at 202-224-3121.
- Organic Consumers Association
Comments from the Health Ranger
The tyranny of Washington is at work yet again, this time trying to take away the right of cities and states to require warning labels on food and grocery products containing dangerous, cancer-causing and life-threatening chemicals.
Big food companies want to keep the population ignorant of what's really in their food. So they want to make it illegal for states to protect their citizens from dangers that are not recognized by Washington. But Washington, of course, has sold out to lobbyists and wealthy corporations. That's why aspartame, a document nerve toxin, is still legal. That's why sodium nitrite, a potent cancer-causing ingredient, is still widely used. And that's why hydrogenated oils, which promote heart disease and cancer, hasn't been banned by the FDA.
If this bill passes, you'll see Frankenfoods (genetically-modified foods), irradiated foods, and foods containing mercury and other poisons sold in grocery stores with no warning labels whatsoever. That's how big food companies like it: Keep the public ignorant! That's why they're lobbying hard for this "de-labeling" bill.
But now, you can help stop the tyrants in Washington. Call your Congress Member at 202-224-3121 and urge them to vote NO on H.R. 4167. Timing is urgent: You must do this before March 1st.
Spread the word. If we don't stop this bill now, the grocery manufacturers will get their way and WE, the consumers, will be harmed by it. If you live in the U.S., take back your power today by making a call, or otherwise contacting your Congressional representative. This is how bad laws get stopped.