Bartolomeo Supports GMO Labeling Legislation

Middlefield state Sen. Dante Bartolomeo joined a bipartisan 35-1 Senate vote Tuesday in favor of  a bill which requires all food containing genetically modified ingredients – “GMOs” – to be appropriately labeled. 

“Having grown up on a farm where we used pesticides every day, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my father and grandfather both had cancer while others in my family have developed auto-immune diseases,” said Bartolomeo, who attended a large rally at the Capitol in support of GMO labeling.

“We’re being told that genetically modified crops such as corn and soybeans are safe, but my research and personal experiences make me believe there’s a definite link between these practices and serious health conditions," she said.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants or animals which have been artificially engineered to contain genetic information from other organisms. This allows a modified organism to exhibit traits it would not otherwise possess. The cultivation of genetically engineered crops has become widespread in the United States since their introduction to the market in the 1990s. 

A 2010 survey conducted by Thomson Reuters found that 93 percent of Americans support labeling of genetically modified foods. 62 other countries, including the entire European Union, have already adopted similar measures. 

Most Americans consume some kind of food product containing GMO ingredients every day: 90 percent of all soybeans, corn, canola and sugar beets now raised in the United States qualify as GMOs. The Grocery Manufacturers Association estimates most processed foods (staples like cereal, granola bars, chicken nuggets and salad dressing) contain at least one GMO ingredient. 

In proposing the new labeling requirements, legislators cited evidence of harmful health effects due to consumption of GMO products. A 2011 meta-analysis of 19 published studies involving mammals fed GMO corn or soy found damage in the kidneys, liver and bone marrow, which could indicate the onset of chronic diseases. 

The new bill requires food intended for human consumption that is entirely or partially genetically-engineered to bear the words “Produced with Genetic Engineering” on their packaging. The phrase must be printed in the same size and font as the ingredients on the product’s nutrition facts panel. Unpackaged raw agricultural commodities must be labeled on their retail shelf or bin. The bill imposes similar requirements on seed or seed stock intended to produce food for human consumption, which must bear a label on its holding container.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection would be empowered to embargo food items which are not appropriately labeled. Exemptions from the labeling requirements include food prepared for immediate human consumption (such as in restaurants), farm products sold at a farmer’s market, roadside stand or pick-your-own farm, and certain processed foods which contain no more than 0.9 percent of genetically-modified components. 

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. If passed and signed into law by the governor, the legislation would take effect either on July 1, 2016, or as soon as July 1, 2015 if any three of the following states also adopt a GMO labeling law: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania or New Jersey.

Press release