Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Opposes State Initiative 522

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s Board of Directors voted this morning to oppose State Initiative 522 which concerns labeling of genetically-engineered foods.

The Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee’s recommendation to oppose the initiative cited several compelling reasons:

•    Misleading labeling that only includes selected foods.
•    Costly labeling for Washington State only, impacting 70-80% of our foods – no other state has these requirements in place.
•    Implies that genetically modified food is unsafe or unhealthy, all of which have been deemed safe by the FDA.
•    Foods with certified organic labels cannot include genetically modified organisms, already allowing consumers to choose this option.
•    Will raise prices for consumers (at an average of $490 a year) and cost farm jobs.