MEDIA RELEASE

Democratic Congressional candidate Bob Marx calls for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require labeling of genetically engineered foods.

Responding to a Feb. 8 letter from U.S. Congress to the FDA, where Democratic leaders Barbara Boxer of California and Peter DeFazio of Oregon asked the FDA to consider a legal petition filed by 400-plus companies and organizations to demand that the FDA label genetically engineered food, Marx said:

“Our keiki and ohana have been eating genetically engineered food for almost 15 years now. We don’t know if it is safe for them. As your Congressman, I will demand that Americans know the risks of genetically engineered food. We must demand that the federal government require transparency in the genetic engineered food industry.

“Almost 80 percent of processed foods in US supermarkets contain genetically engineered ingredients. Yet, we are one of the only industrialized nations in the world where we are not given the right to chose if we want to eat these potentially harmful products. This right to choose is a fundamentally American principle. Americans need to know what is in their food.

“The FDA says their hands are tied when it comes to labeling of genetically engineered food. We need to untie their hands – now. Genetically engineered food labels are required in 50 countries around the world, but not in America. Hawaii’s residents live alongside genetically engineered food farms throughout the state, yet its risks are not known. Hawaii’s newborns breathe in pollen that contain genetic material from experimental crops.

“You can stop using DDT. You can recall a pesticide if you find out it’s harmful. But you can’t recall DNA. We must demand that the federal government require transparency in the genetically engineered food industry.

“We must stop tax breaks for large corporations that use Hawaii as a genetics laboratory. That energy and those tax dollars must be redirected to benefit local farmers who are a cultural and economic backbone to our state. Instead, we must invest in sustainable agricultural initiatives at Universities and local organizations, to protect our biodiversity and the livelihoods of Hawaii’s hard-working people.”

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