Food products with genetically modified (GM) ingredients are common, yet many consumers are unaware of this. When polled, consumers say that they want to know whether their food contains GM ingredients, just as many want to know whether their food is natural or organic. Informing consumers is a major motivation for labeling. But labeling need not be mandatory. Consumers who want GM-free products will pay a premium to support voluntary labeling. Why do consumers want to know about GM ingredients? GM foods are tested to ensure safety and have been on the market for more than a decade. Still, many consumers, including some with food allergies, want to be cautious. Also, GM crops may affect neighboring plants through pollen drift. Despite tests for environmental impact, some consumers may worry that GM crops will adversely effect the environment. The study of risk and its management raises questions not settled by the life sciences alone. This book surveys various labeling policies and the cases for them. It is the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary treatment of the debate about labeling genetically modified food. The contributors include philosophers, bioethicists, food and agricultural scientists, attorneys/legal scholars, and economists.
Edited by:
Paul Weirich (Professor of Philosophy Professor of Philosophy University of Missouri Columbia)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 155mm,
Width: 236mm,
Spine: 23mm
Weight: 556g
ISBN: 9780195326864
ISBN 10: 0195326865
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 24 April 2008
Audience:
General/trade
,
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
ELT Advanced
,
Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface/Acknowledgements/Introduction 1: Michael W. Pariza: A Scientific Perspective on Labeling Genetically Modified Food 2: R. Michael Roberts: Genetically Modified Organisms for Agricultural Food Production: The Extent of the Art and the State of the Science 3: Frederick Degnan: Biotechnology and the Food Label: A Legal Perspective 4: Margaret Rosso Grossman: Traceability and Labeling of GM Food and Feed in the European Union 5: Robert Streiffer and Alan Rubel: Genetically Engineered Animals and the Ethics of Food Labeling 6: Peter Markie: Mandatory GE Labels and Consumer Autonomy 7: Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes, Leonie A Marks, and Steven S. Vickner: Market Evidence of Consumer Response to Mandated Genetically Modified Food Labels 8: Thomas O. McGarity: Frankenfood Free: Consumer Sovereignty, Federal Regulation and Industry Control in Marketing and Choosing Food in the U.S. 9: Philip G. Peters and Thomas A. Lambert: Regulatory Barriers to Consumer Information 10: Clark Wolf: Labeling GM Foods: Rights, Interests, Enforcement, and Institutional Options 11: Carl Cranor: Different Conceptions of Food Labels and Acceptable Risks: Some Contingent/Institutional Considerations in Favor of Labeling 12: Paul Weirich: Using Food Labels to Regulate Risks Index
Paul Weirich is Professor of Philosophy at University of Missouri-Columbia.
Reviews for Labeling Genetically Modified Food: The Philosophical and Legal Debate
The biggest strength of this volume is its interdisciplinary roster of authoritative contributors, most of whom are leaders in the discourse on genetically modified food policy in the US.... A holistic reading gives a balanced range of perspectives on this timely and controversial topic. --J.M. Deutsch, CHOICE
