The U.S. House recently approved the National Uniformity for Food Act, a bill intended to override state laws on food safety labeling.
It would effectively eliminate more than 200 state laws, including tough California rules requiring food producers to warn consumers about carcinogenic ingredients.
Rushed Through for the Food Industry
Critics have complained that the bill was rushed through without complete hearings, as a favor to the food industry. The House voted down measures that would have allowed states to keep labels warning consumers about ingredients that could cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive health problems, and the use of carbon monoxide to treat meat.
Arsenic in Bottled Water
California's senators are threatening to keep the bill from coming to the Senate floor. As a result of California's current state laws, bottled water companies have cut arsenic levels, and bakers have taken carcinogen potassium bromate out of many baked goods.
$31 Million
Food industry advocates of the law have argued that laws that differ from state to state drive up costs, since manufacturers and distributors must comply with different rules in different states.
An important practice you can do to protect your health is to read produce and food labels before you buy anything at the grocery store.
Unfortunately, the National Uniformity for Food Act may soon make that a meaningless exercise.
Evidently, the multi-national drug companies don't have an exclusive hold on doling out cash in great sums to Congressmen in hopes of buying influence. I suspect a good deal of behind-the-scenes hijinks by lobbyists tied to legislators and the White House were responsible for the passage of this bill.
Some interesting facts about the lobbyists who worked behind closed doors to get this House bill passed:
With luck, a more evenly divided Senate may torpedo the measure altogether. But the fact is, you can't trust governmental entities who regard the interests of big business -- not voters like you and me -- as their clients.
No matter what happens, the key is to stay away from processed foods as often as you can; 75 percent of them contain genetically modified ingredients. Stick to fresh, organic food that you prepare yourself as much as possible. You can do it for less money than you might think.