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Dozens of people converged at the state Capitol complex Friday is support of a measure that would mandate labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms.

The crowd included mothers with small children, farmers, and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream co-founder Jerry Greenfield, who offered up his opinion on the bill along with samples of his company’s wares.

“Ben and Jerry’s strongly supports a consumer’s right to know what’s in their products,” Greenfield said as he filled up a cup with Cherry Garcia ice cream. “We’re supporting GMO labeling bills in Vermont and I’m here today testifying in Connecticut. These are ingredients you’re putting in your own bodies and your kids’ bodies, and you should be able to make an informed decision.”

The legislature’s public health committee held a hearing Friday on House Bill 6519, which would require all genetically engineered food to carry a label. The bill is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 17 lawmakers.

Through gene-splicing and other techniques, scientists have been able to make crops more resistant to disease and pests. The bioscience industry, food manufacturers and the federal Food and Drug Administration say such foods are safe, but the pervasiveness of genetically altered ingredients and fear about their long-term health effects has spawned a push for labeling laws.