The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, or the Deny Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act, has been milling about for some time now and recently passed through the House Agriculture Committee. It was introduced by Mike Pompeo (R-Kansas) and has been called “Monsanto’s dream bill” by Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. Specifically, this legislation, if enacted into law, would negate all existing GMO labeling laws and expand the definition of “natural” to include genetically modified ingredients. It would also essentially prohibit the USDA from setting GMO labeling regulations. The bill probably won’t pass, as there isn’t enough Democratic backing in the Senate, and it seems unlikely that President Obama would sign such a bill. Nevertheless, the food industry has responded to the possibility of the bill passing by spending ever greater amounts of lobbying dollars to promote it. In 2015, Coca-Cola spent $5,500,000, PepsiCo $3,230,000, Kellogg Co. $1,330,000 and General Mills $1,180,000. The Grocery Manufacturers Association, a lobbying arm for industrial food companies, also spent $5,000,000. Aside from the excellent possibility that the bill can’t pass a Senate vote, the fact that a majority of Americans want GMO labeling on the food they buy really makes the provisions in the bill a moot point.
Sales of organic and non-GMO foods are expanding. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, “sales of non-GMO products that were either certified organic…or that carried the ‘Non-GMO Project Verified’ seal increased by 80 percent [in 2013].” Consumer Reports says that these numbers have “promoted a growing number of companies to avoid using GMOs in new products or to voluntarily reformulate existing ones so that they can sport reliable non-GMO labels. PepsiCo, for example, sells Stacy’s Simply Naked bagel and pita chips with the Non-GMO Verified seal, [and] General Mills, which introduced a non-GMO original Cheerios cereal…also has the non-GMO product lines Cascadian Farm and Food Should Taste Good.” Perhaps these companies are simply hedging their bets; if labeling does eventually become mandatory they’re ahead of the game, or by continuing to throw money and lobbyists at propositions to outlaw labeling they feel they can stop the movement altogether. But the food industry, in order to make the profits they desire, must accommodate consumer demand. According to a recent Gallup poll, 45% of Americans “actively try to include organic foods in their diets.” And awareness is growing. Steve Holt, a food writer, acknowledges the 45% figure and also states that of those 45% “20 percent said they are ‘very/extremely concerned’ about GMOs [which is] up from 15 percent in 2011.” Ironically, the failed attempts to pass labeling laws in California, Oregon and Colorado, for example, which the media covered extensively, most likely led to increased consumer awareness.
In other words, the DARK Act doesn’t threaten as much as it did when first introduced in 2014, simply because it has no control over what people want. This isn’t about whether or not GMOs are harmful, and it may not even be rational, but the fact remains that public awareness concerning the dangers of GMOs (again, real or imagined) and the pesticides they require is growing and will continue to grow. Harry Balzer, author of Eating Patterns in America, says that “GMOs have been an issue for some time now. We are once again seeing more American adults concerned than not. I expect the market to follow those concerns.”
Recipe of the Week
Chicken in Tomatillo Sauce
I’ve been making this dish for years and have of late made it better. It’s easy, but time consuming, and definitely depends on organic ingredients to make it superior.
1 organic chicken, cut up and skinned. Toss the skin and freeze the back and wings for stock.
1.5 lbs. fresh tomatillos, husks removed
Put the chicken pieces in a soup pot and just cover with cold water. Add about 2 tsps. salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the pieces and let cool. Put the whole, husked tomatillos in the soup pot and simmer for about 20 minutes until they’re soft and pale green. Puree the lot. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, tear smallish pieces off the bone and add to the soup pot. Simmer until you get the thickness you want. If you’re serving over rice, it can be less thick, but I usually serve it with corn tortillas and so wait until it’s thick enough not to be soupy. Taste for salt.