Mandatory Labelling of GE-Foods

BILL C-517 - MANDATORY LABELLING OF GE-FOODS

On April 10, Deconstructing Dinner aired a segment on Bill C-517 - a bill introduced by Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament Gilles-A. Perron. The bill was calling for the mandatory labelling of genetically engineered foods.

Canadians have long been demanding that foods containing genetically-engineered ingredients be labelled. Over 40 countries around the world have successfully implemented such requirements.

On April 3, 2008, C-517 was debated in the House by members of all parties. Deconstructing Dinner recorded the debate and followed up with Conservative MP Bruce Stanton who opposed the Bill.

The bill was debated yet again on May 5, and on May 7 was defeated by a vote of 156-101.

However, there's one problem; some MPs opposing the bill and joining in the debate on May 5, clearly had very little idea what genetically engineered foods are. Some information in particular, which was shared with the expressed purpose of assuring other MPs and Canadians that GE-foods are safe, was quite simply, untrue.

Because of this misinformation, granting Canadians the freedom to choose between genetically-engineered foods and non-engineered foods, has been negated due to misinformation used to influence the vote.

Of course as per usual, only one other media source has covered this bill, and that was the country's largest agricultural publication - The Western Producer. Unfortunately, even they did not pick up on the misinformed MPs speaking on the bill

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