YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE
To label or not to label…
By Gene Hall
Lately, a simple trip to the grocery store is anything but. Shoppers are bombarded with a myriad of labels like “natural,” “heart healthy,” “gluten free,” and others. While some labels serve a genuine purpose and help shoppers make the right decision, some simply mislead shoppers.
Slapping a “gluten free” sticker on orange juice may appeal to some shoppers, but it’s also deceptive. Orange juice is normally gluten free.
Labeling products that contain GMOs, while not the same, is similar. It misleads consumers into thinking that a product without the “GMO free” label is less than–or not as good for them as–a product that contains GMOs. That’s simply not the case.
If a car dealer used a “not a lemon” sign on his vehicles, would you worry all other car dealers are selling lemons?
Consumers have every right to know what’s in their food. But we need to draw the line when labeling misleads the American public.
The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.
You may read this week’s editorial below or listen to the audio version.
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