The U.S. Senate has just passed Senate Bill S.764 (the 'DARK Act') which is intended to mislead and confuse consumers on whether the food they are buying has been genetically modified.
The bill delays proper, full disclosure labeling on food products by at least two more years. It imposes no penalties on corporations for failing to comply. In fact, the legislation is a toothless tiger with no provisions for enforcement against food manufacturers and biotech businesses abusing the labeling process.
The bill does allow manufacturers to use electronic "QR" codes on their labels instead of printed warnings. This clearly discriminates against people who do not have smartphone capability to "read" a QR code. It has a disproportionate impact on those who are poor and the elderly.
The bill also overrides more than 100 other food labeling and safety laws put in place by different states. Republicans in the House of Representatives have said they will support the Senate bill, even though nine out of every 10 Americans say they want "Produced with genetic engineering" on food packaging labels.
The DARK Act is the direct result of Senators caving into hundreds of millions of dollars of lobbying by the food and biotech industries. If passed by the
Please urge President Obama to VETO the DARK Act if -- and when -- it comes to his desk.
