Over the past years, producers have seemed to be less concerned with what they are selling, and more concerned with making money. For this reason, manufacturers and grocery stores typically have swept under the rug just exactly what ingredients are contained in the food which we consume daily. In the name of profit, most producers have been unwilling to inform the buyer as to whether their food contains genetically modified organisms, called GMOs, which modify the food in an unnatural matter through deliberate modifications of the characteristics of the food’s organisms. Whether the buyer believes or does not believe that GMOs are harmful to health, I have always strongly believed that consumers have the right to know what is in their food. For this reason, I am greatly uplifted when I hear news that certain grocery stores, such as Whole Foods Market are now requiring food which it sells to be labeled as to whether they contain GMOs. In fact, by 2018, Whole Foods has announced at all products carried in stores in the United States and Canada must be labeled if they contain GMOs.
Whole Foods has taken a revolutionary step. To date, consumers have been typically deprived of the right to decide whether they want to purchase genetically engineered foods. The buyer is blissfully unaware while their health may be compromised. Whole Foods has now taken the first very important step in promoting awareness. Despite the propaganda put out by the government and by producers of GMO products that they are the equivalent of non-GMO products, I do not believe that food that has been genetically engineered is as safe for our bodies as non-GMO foods.
In addition to touting GMO safety, producers argue that if GMOs were eliminated, then the price of all food would rise because pure and organic food is more expensive to produce. Opponents of labeling also argue that the FDA only requires labels to provide information on nutritional value, or allergies, and that this additional labeling is completely unnecessary. These arguments miss the point. Whole Foods has wisely recognized that the issue is not whether you are in favor of or opposed to GMOs. Instead, what is important to Whole Foods Market is for society to become educated about food, and to make these choices in an informed way. Consumers should not be expected to go through great efforts to conduct research as to what is in their food, when this information can simply be disclosed on the label as Whole Foods will be requiring. Indeed, it should be the rightful duty of all manufacturers to clearly make these disclosures. I am hopeful that more sellers will follow in the footsteps of Whole Foods Markets, providing the consumer with the right to reject food which they believe is not good for their bodies, and to be given the chance to make healthy choices.