Why label products that contain GMOs? Should the government mandate this?

There has been lots of debate on whether products that contain GMOs should be labeled or not. The supporters argue that GMO food may carry health risks and consumers deserve the right to know what's in the food they buy. The opponents, claim that GMO food has not been proved unsafe and labeling would result in unnecessary worry among consumers. Some states have already passed GMO labeling laws, while FDA has yet to decide if...

There has been lots of debate on whether products that contain GMOs should be labeled or not. The supporters argue that GMO food may carry health risks and consumers deserve the right to know what's in the food they buy. The opponents, claim that GMO food has not been proved unsafe and labeling would result in unnecessary worry among consumers. Some states have already passed GMO labeling laws, while FDA has yet to decide if mandatory labeling should be made nationwide.

The fact is that over 60 countries in the world have mandated GMO labeling. National polls show that over 90% of the public favors labeling. Although GMO food has not been proved unsafe, it has not been proved safe, either. As a relatively new technology of which the safety has yet to be verified by time, genetic engineering should be made known to consumers whenever used in food. One of the major concerns of the opponents is that a GMO label may cause that food to lose value and become less popular among consumers. Undoubtedly, an organic label is much more desirable than a GMO label, even though organic products have their drawbacks too. However, food producers should not be allowed to avoid adding an important label simply because it might impact market value. After all, eating GMO food is somewhat like a long-term experiment in which participants would receive economic benefits, as food containing GMO is generally cheaper than non-GMO food. Given enough information about GMO food, it is ultimately down to the consumers to decide whether they are willing to participate in this experiment or not. Proponents of GMO labelling argue that unless GMO food can be proved safe by sufficient evidence, this label should always be made visible to the consumers.