Usually, I do not side with Liberals on anything. However, on the forum I frequent, Joey from Georgia mentioned an Amendment to the National Uniformity For Food Act of 2005, which concerns me. Let’s go to a health nut website, Newstarget:
The House of Representatives will vote this week on a controversial “national food uniformity” labeling law that will take away local government and states’ power to require food safety labels such as those required in California and other states on foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. This bill would also prevent citizens in local municipalities and states from passing laws requiring that genetically engineered foods and ingredients such as Monsanto’s recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) be labeled.
The House will vote March 2, 2006 on a bill that would gut state food safety and labeling laws. H.R. 4167, the “National Uniformity for Food Act,” lowers the bar on food safety by overturning state food safety laws that are not “identical” to federal law. Hundreds of state laws and regulations are at risk, including those governing the safety of milk, fish, and shellfish. The bill is being pushed by large supermarket chains and food manufacturers, spearheaded by the powerful Grocery Manufacturers of America.
Perhaps a bit overblown, but, when dealing with the Feds, you know how the beauracracy can be. If you look at H.R. 4167 (search it here), there is some ambiguous language, and some ability for States to petition the Secretary of the Food And Drug Administration. But, this is the Fed’s interfering for interference sake.
As someone who could go to the hospital (again) because of an MSG allergy, and could go into anaphalactic shock from merely touching something that had scallops on it, I prefer to allow States and other entities to be allowed to make the labels stricter without useless red tape.
Do me a favor, go here, and write your Congress Critter. There is little time.
I apologise for adding this here as it’s unrelated, but I kept getting error messages sending via email.
Just writing to welcome you to OTA. It’s all set up for ya.
Thanks, Sam. I appreciate!
Totally with you on this one, Teach. I hate the hospital too, and was pleased at the labeling law. Now this. Ugh.
It got tabled, no action. I guess they realized how dumb it was.
I still can’t believe that someone would even consider changing that when so many people depend on that labeling. My son is allergic to milk, eggs, basically all dairy. Mc Donalds had something in their fries and didn’t propertly list it. I was nursing and would have fries and the poor lil guy would break out something fierce.
Glad you got involved at the time also. Love the new look!