Big Food Calls GMO Label ‘Unconstitutional’ — and Legal Experts Strike Back!

It seems the big food industry will stop at nothing to make sure GMO foods go unlabeled. In a recent leaked document produced by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the organization deems GMO labeling a potential “constitutional” issue that could be subject to lawsuit from GMA.

The document’s talking points include what Truth-Out.org calls “the usual misinformation about GMO safety testing and so-called benefits of GMOs.”

The biggest problem with the GMA’s claims in the document, however, surround the assertion that GMO labeling laws would be unconstitutional – “claims that legal experts say are baseless. The GMA may not have a legal leg to stand on.”

In Vermont, for example, one of  many states where GMO labeling law is being debated, law experts have deemed the GMA’s threats as simply that – just a threat.

“We have researched and analyzed challenges that may be made in opposition to such legislation and have concluded that Vermont can pass GE labeling legislation that will meet all constitutional requirements,” notes the Vermont Law School’s Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic.

This was also affirmed by Emord & Associates, a Washington, D.C. firm. In other words, it’s been concluded that the GMA’s threats are likely to be viewed as pure fluff.

According to Truth-Out.org, “Still, the threats to sue states are clearly intended to strike fear in the hearts of those lawmakers genuinely concerned about spending tax dollars on costly court battles.”

And this could create problems on the road to GMO labeling: “GMO labeling activists are also concerned that some lawmakers will use the GMA’s threats as a convenient excuse to reject the majority opinion of their voters, in favor of siding with industry instead. Or as a means to convince their colleagues to add trigger clauses, similar to those in the Maine and Connecticut bills, in an attempt to stall or permanently sabotage GMO laws.”

In other words, we need to pass along the word that the GMA’s threats have holes – let’s pass this information along to keep the GMA’s intimidation tactics at bay!