By Martha Lueders
Murphy News Service

Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives are considering a bill that would require indication of whether food and seed have been genetically modified.

The bill, HF-3140, was introduced in late April. Sponsored by Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-Minneapolis), the measure was proposed by the non-profit group Right to Know MN.

Right to Know MN had proposed a similar bill in the past, but it failed to even get a hearing, Jody Hencier, legislative director at Right to Know MN, said.

“We want consumers to know what is in their food,” Hencier said. “Consumers can then make wiser choices.”

An earlier bill about the labeling of products that contain genetically engineered food was introduced to the House Health Committee.

The current labeling bill sits with the House’s Commerce and Consumer Protection and Finance Committee. By introducing the bill to the commerce and consumer committee it brings a more intense focus on consumers’ right to know than whether genetically modified food is healthy.

The bill won’t get a vote or hearing until next year’s legislative session because it was introduced after the committee’s deadline

Another organization that supports the bill is Minnesota Farmer’s Union, but individual farmers remain on both sides of the issue, Gary Wertish MN Farmer’s Union vice president said.

Why farmers support and reject the bill ranges from crop yields to money.

What is evident though is that nearly 80 percent of the food Americans eat contains genetically modified ingredients the Grocery Manufacturers Association reported.

In Minnesota, more than 90 percent of all corn planted in 2013 was genetically engineered, a United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service report stated.

“It’s not much of a difference,” Wertish said. “At some point we’ll have [standards] anyway.”

Martha Lueders studies journalism at the University of Minnesota.