GMO Secrecy Gains Momentum: The DARK Act Passes Another Hurdle

The DARK Act, labeled by its detractors as the “Deny Americans the Right to Know” Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday. It still needs to make it through the Senate, but the passing of the law means that food manufacturers won’t have to label when GMOs—genetically modified organisms—are present in their food products.

Even though some 90 percent of Americans support the idea of legislature that would label foods containing GMOs, the measure was approved by a 275-150 in the House.

You may have read our previous coverage of the DARK Act, but as it stands the bill blocks any mandatory labeling of foods made with GMOs. It doesn’t deny food manufacturers the option of labeling their products themselves, and while many organic vendors voluntarily opt to stamp a “non-GMO” label on their packaging, the Grocery Manufacturers Association argued that adding labels would be an unnecessary financial drain to the food industry.

GMOs haven’t been proven to be safe for human consumption, and have even been linked to adverse effects like cancer. With GMOs banned in 64 countries, it’s hard to believe that the U.S. government would prefer to side with Big Food rather than provide transparency for the American people.

But the fight against GMOs isn’t quite over. The DARK Act still needs to be passed by the Senate, so there is still a chance that mandatory GMO labeling will happen. So what can you do? Support brands and stores that sell non-GMO products, and head to the Non-GMO Project for more information on how you can strike down the DARK Act.

Photo credit: Dominik Martin via Unsplash