Genetic Modified Organism

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GMO´s and Non-GMO´s labels

It is very important to know exactly what you are buying. Food companies often don´t label their products correctly. There is a difference between GMO´s, non-GMO´s, and organic food. We have two articles that discuss the differences about them and what is best for the companies that commercialize them. In this paper we will analyze them, what are their viewpoints, controversies, arguments, and etcetera. We will begin by analyzing our sources viewpoint.

The FDA has made it very clear how is the proper way to label a product that has been genetically modified or genetically engineered. The first author, Storm, J., is clearly in favor of proper-labeling, since those regulations are not mandatory yet. This issue has been addressed by the Congress, and several food industry groups. The second author, Charles, D., explains how is it that organic products are more expensive than non-GMO´s products.  Those are two different products, even though people think otherwise.

Both Storm and Charles seem to agree in something: Educate the customers. The first author said that “…consumers did not necessarily understand what genetic engineering is, or even which crops are genetically engineered”, and the FDA has surely made more confused with all their specifications and different kinds of labeling a product. Charles quoted “The goal is to educate consumers that 'non-GMO' or 'natural' products are not 100 percent the same as an organic product”, but the issue here is that there is not enough information of how this different products are products. As the farmer Allen Williams explained, organic and nonorganic production are two different things, but not a lot of people are aware of that.

According to the first article, is difficult to educate customers. The FDA is deep inside this controversy because of all the regulations they have, and the fact that proper-labeling is somehow, not mandatory. Their decisions have been applauded by some, and recriminated by others, implies Storm.  And those who applaud are the same that want to block the labeling law that has already been passed in Vermont. In the second article we can see why is that non-GMO´s products are cheaper than organic products. It takes a lot more work, time and money to produce organic food, that’s why companies are using non-GMOs labels, it has a fewer cost than to be labeled as organic.