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Bill passes Assembly’s Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection

ALBANY — The Assembly’s Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection today passed with nine votes bill A.617 to require the labeling of food made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Despite opposition by big food and beverage corporations, organizing by environmental and consumers’ rights advocates helped ensure the bill made it through the committee. The vote comes on the heels of the controversial decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve the sale of a genetically modified apple that doesn’t bruise, spoil or brown.

“As Chairman of the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection, I believe consumers have a right to know what their food contains, be it gluten, sugar, or genetically modified organisms. While the research on the long-term ecological, social, and physiological impacts of GMOs remains incomplete, GMOs are a departure from time-tested practices that humans have used to adapt the natural world to their needs. I stand with a growing chorus of voices in New York and across the United States who seek more information about the foods they buy, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring this bill to a vote in the full Assembly this session,” said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx).

Overwhelmingly, Americans want mandatory labeling of genetically modified food. According to polls by Consumer Reports and The New York Times, over 90% of consumers want genetically engineered food labeled.