Report Title:

Genetically Engineered Foods; Labeling

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, genetic engineering is a new science without any long-term evaluation of the effects on the health of human bodies, other living creatures, and the environment; and

WHEREAS, consumers have the right to know whether their foods are produced using genetic engineering; and

WHEREAS, consumers who are allergic to certain foods, follow certain restrictive diets, or wish to maintain a certain control of the purity of the foods that enter their bodies should have notice of the ingredients in their food; and

WHEREAS, federal agencies have not yet seen fit to require labeling for genetically engineered foods or ingredients sold in interstate commerce; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that all producers of genetically engineered food products in Hawaii are encouraged to label those products to reflect the product's ingredients, and in particular, to provide notice of any ingredient present due to genetic engineering; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the label should alert consumers that the product contains certain genetically engineered ingredients; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, and the Director of Health.