GMO Food Labeling Initiative Could Affect Natural Foods Too
The fuss is over the langue that supporters say aims to ban genetically engineered foods from being…
The fuss is over the langue that supporters say aims to ban genetically engineered foods from being labeled "natural." But now the state says the clause could be interpreted to apply to any processed food.
Kathy Fairbanks is with the campaign that opposes the measure. She says the Legislative Analyst's Office, the Attorney General and a judge have all weighed in on the language.
FAIRBANKS: "All three agree that the wording in this measure could be interpreted to mean that processed foods with no GE would be prohibited from being labeled natural."
This would mean processed foods such as olive oil, which doesn't contain genetically modified ingredients, could not have the label "natural" on it.
But Stacy Malkan and supporters of the proposition says that's not the initiative's intent.
MALKAN: "No reasonable judge in a court of law that was actually ruling on the meaning of prop 37 would interpret the initiative to apply to non-GMO foods. It just makes no sense.
The language voters will see on the November ballot will say that the measure prohibits marketing genetically engineered foods and processed foods as natural.