Virtually, all the backing for Yes on Proposition 37 comes from the organic industry. It seems that this measure is just quest for the organic industry to create more labels to further market their product. The organic industry has an internationally recognized USDA standard and label that can be used given that an approved process has been followed. They voluntarily chose to exclude genetically modified organisms.

Inadvertent presence of GMOs actually does not disqualify the use of the label on the product (USDA National Organic program). Would a label reading “may contain GMOs” on all of processed food really be informative?

If passed, Prop. 37 also states that any processed food cannot use the word “natural.” In the initiative, processed food means any food that uses canning, smoking, pressing, cooking, freezing, dehydration, fermentation or milling. Now do you mean my freshly milled oatmeal, freshly squeezed orange juice and my UC Davis virgin olive oil that has won several gold medals is not natural?

Last week, we were reminded that rice produces arsenic; potatoes also produce polyacrylamide; E. coli is natural. The word “natural” clearly does not mean safe or healthy, thus it really provides very little information. The organic industry craftily exempts itself from this as well in Prop. 37.

We all want the ability to make informed choices. Prop. 37 provides no new information on product quality, safety or health. Most of us cannot afford 50 to 500 percent more for organic, the estimated $350 to $400 incidental cost, nor the lawsuits associated with a misguided initiative. If you want to select no GMOs (well, almost no GMOs or almost no pesticides), please buy organic. It’s already labeled.

Allen Van Deynze

Davis

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