Initiative 522

Posted by Gary O'Rielly 
on Oct 09, 2013
 
Our guest speaker October 4th was Carin Chase, Director of Constituencies for the Yes on I-522. The initiative would require genetically engineered food to be labeled on packages. Last year more than 350,000 signatures were gathered to put the initiative on the November 5, 2013 General Election ballot. When the DNA of a product is altered artificially in the lab with genes from other plants, animals, viruses or bacteria to produce a foreign substances, labeling would be required under I-522.
 

The opposition to I-522 has put in over $17 million towards the No on 522 campaign. Chase commented that labeling already exists on some products and that the cost would be minimal where various products would be required to label. Grocery foods that would be labeled would be GE salmon, GE sweet corn, GE papaya, baby formula, cereal, corn chips, tortillas, soy milk just to name a few food products.

According to Carin Chase, 50-70% of food is genetically produced. Labeling will allow for tracking these products. Chase did admit that there is no adequately long term studies that have been done on tracking food labeling information. Labeling is about getting information. And labeling is about transparency and giving us more control over our grocery shopping decisions. Companies in the United States already label genetically engineered foods for markets in 64 countries around the world and they should provide the same information for the Washington shoppers according to Chase. 

Under I-522, restaurants are not required to label anything on their menu. Initiative 522 is only a labeling issue. Expected low voter turn out will require over one million Yes votes on I-522 but the Seattle Mayoral race plus hotly contested races in Bellingham may increase voter turn-out in those communities prompting a better opportunity for I-522.