(SACRAMENTO, CA) March 6, 2012 – The California Right to Know Initiative Campaign is gaining momentum with its signature gathering efforts across the state to place a voter backed initiative on the November 2012 ballot that would mandate labeling of genetically engineered food. The effort is supported by a broad coalition of public health, family, environmental organizations, farmers and individuals.

“Californians have a right to know what’s in the food we are eating and feeding to our children,” said Pamm Larry who has been instrumental in organizing the volunteer effort. “Right now, we have no way of knowing if food is genetically engineered or not. This initiative will enable us all to make informed choices and give consumers the ability to choose whether or not to buy genetically engineered foods.”

Public opinion polls indicate that over 90 percent of Americans support the labeling of genetically engineered foods as a basic right to know what’s in their food and how it is produced. Past efforts to enact labeling laws in Congress and the California legislature have been blocked by big food and chemical company lobbyists.

According to the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association, an estimated 75 to 80 percent of processed food in the U.S. contains ingredients that have been genetically engineered in laboratories.

The initiative also has broad support of numerous California family farmers. Grant Lundberg of Lundberg Farms, which has been operating in California since 1937, says that it’s time for the United States to catch up with the rest of the world on labeling genetically engineered foods.

“Fifty countries, including the entire European Union and Japan already have laws requiring genetically engineered foods be labeled. Even China labels their genetically engineered foods,” Lundberg said. “The U.S. should be leading the way, not following, on this important issue, and California should take the lead here in the U.S.”

Thousands of energized volunteers have been collecting signatures to qualify the petition for the ballot since mid-February across the state.

The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act will finally allow parents and consumers to make informed choices about the food they eat and feed their families.  For the past fifteen years, Americans have been in the dark about genetically engineered ingredients in their food.  With this initiative, California has the chance at the ballot box to restore the basic right to know what is in their food.

The initiative gives producers until July 1, 2014 to begin labeling genetically engineered foods and prohibits such foods as being advertised as “natural.”

For more information, please visit www.CARightToKnow.org

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 Background

A genetically engineered food is a plant or animal that has had its DNA altered at the molecular level in a lab to include genes that produce foreign compounds from other plants, animals, viruses, or bacteria. This genetic alteration is not found in nature and cannot occur naturally. Californians unknowingly eat many different genetically engineered foods, because these foods are not required to be labeled and are often incorrectly advertised as “natural.”

The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act would require genetically engineered foods (also known as Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs) that are sold in retail outlets such as grocery stores (restaurants not included) to be clearly labeled, similar to current labels that feature other nutritional facts. The initiative also prohibits genetically engineered foods from being marketed as “natural.”

The initiative to label genetically engineered foods has already built a broad base of support from a wide variety of different organizations, including Sierra Club California, California National Organization for Women, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, California Biosafety Alliance, California Certified Organic Farmers, Family Farm Defenders, Allergy Kids Foundation, Alliance for Natural Health USA, Food Democracy Now!, Dr. Bronner’s, Organic Consumers Association, Rodale Institute, Mercola, Eden Foods, American Academy of Environmental Medicine, Center for Food Safety, Lundberg Family Farms, Moms for Safe Food, Nature’s Path, and many more.

Buffy Martin Tarbox
Media Relations Director
California Right to Know
415-279-8231 
http://carighttoknow.org/