Re:We’re Scientists, Moms, And We Avoid Non-GMO Products
by flukus on Monday November 07, 2016 @07:41PM
(#12896638)
This is all I want, a label I'm happy to ignore. Then this silly debate can go away.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:We’re Scientists, Moms, And We Avoid Non-GMO Products
by nitrogen on Monday November 07, 2016 @08:19PM
(#12896826)
Sure, but the label tells us nothing unless it identifies the particular strain(s) that have been modified. Simple "GMO" vs. "non-GMO" labels are anti-informative. They have net negative utility as they don't tell us whether something is safe or dangerous, they just muddy a discussion that could be perfectly clear.
IMO anti-GMO advocates should be pushing for more specific strain/cultivar labels on food, not just a useless label that says "produced with genetic engineering." Then pro-GMO, tentatively accepting, and anti-GMO groups can all be satisfied.
Re:We’re Scientists, Moms, And We Avoid Non-GMO Products
by Kalium on Monday November 07, 2016 @08:24PM
(#12896855)
I submit that the "GMO"/"GMO-free" labeling serves precisely the intended purpose. If you believe that all GMOs are unsafe and evil, then what more could people possibly need to know?
Re:We’re Scientists, Moms, And We Avoid Non-GMO Products
by nitrogen on Monday November 07, 2016 @08:31PM
(#12896884)
But it's rationally unsound and unscientific to argue that all GMOs are unsafe and evil. So if anti-GMO people want to stop people from eating/producing GMOs, they should find less opposition to specific labeling than to generic labeling. Otherwise it's too easy to paint them as uninformed.
I think you're right that the intended purpose of generic GMO labels is to muddy the issue and spread uncertainty, which is exactly what they do. I am arguing that this strategy is counterproductive in the long-term, both to the anti-GMO cause and to society's health and informational well-being.
Re:We’re Scientists, Moms, And We Avoid Non-GMO Products
by flukus on Monday November 07, 2016 @09:15PM
(#12897059)
99.9% of consumers would have no idea what to do with that information and most products would contain several strains of each ingredient anyway.