Genetically modified foods (GMOs) are organisms, microorganisms, plants, and animals produced by altering DNA from its natural state. Over the years, various controversies have grown into whether companies producing such products should label them. The US Food and Drug Administration allows the sale and distribution of unlabeled GMO products as long as they are approved by the government (Lamb, 2020). However, despite FDA's approval, various people have raised their concerns over the need to label GMO products. The GMO foods and seeds should be labeled before sale and distribution to increase public awareness of what they purchase and consume.
GMO products should be labeled to ensure people have a chance to choose what to eat. In essence, recent years have seen a rise in GMO products in the American markets. Sugar beets, soy, canola oil, and corn are all present in the US food markets. Apart from these distinct products, most foodstuffs in the US comprise GMO ingredients, which are unlabeled by the producers and distributors (Lamb, 2020). This situation makes it difficult for consumers to differentiate GMO and non-GMO products. Labeling all GMO products will make it easier for consumers to choose their dietary options efficiently. In essence, most people end up eating GMO products despite holding strong objections to them. Failure to label GMO products is a violation of people's freedom of choice because they conceal their products' identity as GMO.
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Labeling GMO products will also increase public confidence in the product. Before the anti-labeling lobbies were raised, the public had expressed its wide concerns over the safety of GMO products. Consequently, GMO companies lobbied against labeling, which helped them achieve obscurity (Lamb, 2020). Labeling the products will make the public less opposed to them as they would trust the products more. Labeling will also provide customers to exercise the religious or cultural beliefs.
Conclusively, GMO products should be labeled because it is the only way to increase public confidence and trust. The public will understand that the producing companies have no hidden issues behind the non-labeling actions through labeling. Through labeling, the companies will also grant their customers a chance to choose whether to consume the products based on cultural or religious beliefs. Therefore, the US government must ensure that all GMO companies label their products.
References
Lamb, S. (2020). Why we need mandatory labeling of GMO products. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/19/why-we-need-mandatory-labeling-of-gmo-products/
