URGENT: Tell Congress to Protect Food Safety Laws!

URGENT: Tell Congress to Protect Food Safety Laws!

http://ucsaction.org/campaign/02_28_06_food_safety/w3e3xw3225bbm7k?
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This Thursday, March 2, Congress will vote on a bill to gut food safety and labeling laws. H.R. 4167, the National Uniformity for Food Act, would eliminate current state or local laws and prevent the enactment of future laws that impose stricter requirements for food safety than current federal standards. If passed, this dangerous bill would reduce food safety laws to the federal government’s “uniform” lowest common denominator, wiping out laws in at least 30 states from California to Maine. These laws empower consumers with essential information about what’s in our food—such as toxic chemicals, mercury, potential allergens, and genetically engineered ingredients. Given the sweeping implications of this bill, it is shocking that Congress held no public hearings on this issue, essentially putting the interests of big food companies ahead of the health and safety of consumers. Take action today to urge Representative Lee to VOTE NO on H.R. 4167.

Protect Food Safety Laws!

Dear Representative,

I am writing to strongly urge you to oppose H.R. 4167, the National Uniformity for Food Act.

As a consumer, I want more information about the food I buy for myself and my family, not less. States and local governments have helped consumers like me by addressing gaps in federal standards, ensuring safer food and providing consumers with important label information. H.R. 4167 would undercut the role of state and local governments and reduce food safety laws to the federal government's "uniform" lowest common denominator.

The Congressional Budget Office says that this legislation could eliminate laws in at least 30 states, including laws dealing with labeling of food additives, potential allergens, shellfish, and more. Other state food laws that could be affected address issues of particular importance to specific states or regions, such as catfish labeling laws in Mississippi and Arkansas. Perhaps the most dangerous element of this poorly conceived bill is its potential to strike down California's Proposition 65, which protects public health by requiring warning notices on products that contain ingredients known to cause cancer or birth defects.

Please protect the health of my family and the safety of the food we eat by voting no on H.R. 4167. I will be closely watching the outcome of this vote.

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Congress Bill Takes Rights To Know What's In Your Food
http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/labeling.cfm



Congress Bill Takes Rights To Know What's In Your Food
http://rense.com

Congress Bill Takes Rights
To Know What's In Your Food

Ronnie Cummins
Organic Consumers Association
2-28-6


Action Alert from the Organic Consumers Association:

Congress Poised to Pass Bill Taking Away Right to Know What's in Your Food

Tell your Congressman or Congresswoman to vote "No" on House of Representatives Bill H.R. 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act"

The House of Representatives will vote this week on a controversial "national food uniformity" labeling law that will take away local government and states' power to require food safety food labels such as those required in California and other states on foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. This bill would also prevent citizens in local municipalities and states from passing laws requiring that genetically engineered foods and ingredients such as Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) be labeled.

The House will vote March 2, 2006 on a bill that would gut state food safety and labeling laws. H.R. 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act," lowers the bar on food safety by overturning state food safety laws that are not "identical" to federal law. Hundreds of state laws and regulations are at risk, including those governing the safety of milk, fish, and shellfish. The bill is being pushed by large supermarket chains and food manufacturers, spearheaded by the powerful Grocery Manufacturers of America.

Big food corporations and the biotech industry understand that consumers are more and more concerned about food safety, genetic engineering, and chemical-intensive agriculture, and are reading labels more closely. They understand that pesticide and mercury residues and hazardous technologies such as genetic engineering and food irradiation will be rejected if there are truthful labels required on food products. Industry-sponsored H.R. 4167 is gaining momentum and must be stopped! Act now! Preserve local and regional democracy and protect yourself and your family from unsafe food by sending an email or calling your Representative and urging them to vote "No" on H.R. 4167.

Please Take Action Now--Send a Message to Your Congress Member in the House of Representatives to Vote "No" on H.R. 4167

http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/labeling.cfm

And please call your Congress Member at 202-224-3121

Ronnie Cummins,
Organic Consumers Association
MainPage
http://www.rense.com