Oregon voters reject food-labeling measure


By PHILIP BRASHER
Register Washington Bureau
11/08/2002

Washington, D.C. - Oregon voters have dealt opponents of agricultural biotechnology a setback by rejecting by a 4-1 ratio a proposal to require the labeling of all foods made with genetically engineered ingredients or processing aids.

Food and biotech companies such as Monsanto Co. poured more than $5 million into a campaign to defeat the ballot measure. They worried that the measure, had it passed in Tuesday's voting, would lead to similar proposals in California and other states. It was the first such ballot initiative in the nation.

The Food and Drug Administration, which believes such labeling is unwarranted, also opposed the measure.

"Oregon voters soundly rejected biotech labeling by defeating this ballot initiative. We see no reason to believe that such an initiative would be more successful in other states," said Tim Willard, a spokesman for the National Food Processors Association.

Had the measure passed, it could have had implications for farmers in the Midwest, where genetically engineered soybeans and corn have become widely popular.

Anti-biotech activists say consumers will reject biotech foods if products are labeled. An estimated 70 percent of processed foods - from soup to snack chips - contain genetically engineered soy or corn. The Oregon labeling requirement also would have applied to meat, milk and eggs from animals fed biotech crops.

Some backers of the Oregon measure attributed their defeat to the industry's advertising campaign.

"Money talks," said Andrew Kimbrell of the advocacy group Center for Food Safety.

But antibiotech activist Larry Bohlen of Friends of the Earth said the measure's authors also may have overreached. The measure was so restrictive that it allowed the industry to raise concerns that it would significantly raise food prices, he said.

In early October, a poll by the Oregonian newspaper in Portland found that 58 percent of those surveyed favored the labeling measure. By the end of the month, that support dropped to 28 percent, the newspaper said.

In the end, voters defeated the measure by 79 percent to 21 percent.

The FDA said the labeling requirement would "impermissibly interfere with manufacturers" ability to market their products on a nationwide basis."

Genetic engineering puts new traits into plants and animals by manipulating their genes or by inserting new genes into them.


Erin E. Jordahl
Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-277-8868
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