Abstract: National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Act: Texas and the GMO Food Fight

Emily ShanksVolume 50 Editor-in-Chief

Volume 49, Book 4

Recently, Americans have paid more attention to how food is grown and made. One of the debates, which developed from this attention, concerns genetically modified organisms (GMO). Commercial use of GMOS in products has ushered in a new era of consumer paranoia and ignorance regarding the health effects of GMOs, and many consumers demand that producers label any products containing GMOs. But this labeling may not necessarily be a clear-cut solution

The federal mandatory labeling of products containing GMOs will force Texas stores and companies to supply labels for certain products containing GMOs to uneducated and skeptical consumers. This upcoming comment explores the sensationalism associated with GMOs and analyzes the new GMO regulation—investigating how it will potentially affect Texas consumers and producers and how Texas can combat the negative effects of the regulations.

The comment suggests that Texas can supplement the federal regulation by defining the label “natural,” by analyzing the federal law’s effect on meat, poultry, and egg industries, and by deciding whether additional Texas legislation or policies are needed to protect the state’s industries. The implementation of these recommendations will alleviate consumer ignorance and confusion toward what a “natural” product entails and will ensure that Texas industries remain significant positive contributors to its economy.

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