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Urgent: Stop the National Uniformity for Food Act (S 3128) before it wipes
out hundreds of food safety labeling laws
At this time it isessential
that you protest the passage of S 3128 with members
of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
from
your State. That's the Senate committee that will review S
3128 in the Senate and decide whether or not to recommend the bill for
passage by Senate. (Access
a list of committee members here.) If there is no member from
your State on the committee, contact one or more of the others. Since Republicans
are in the majority on this committee, it would be wise to contact one
or more Republicans regardless of whom else you share your concerns with.
It is appropriate to contact Senators from your state as often as you
like, with as many comments or questions as you have. Ask your family
and friends to do the same.
HISTORY
For years, the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) have lobbied Congress
to legislate away food labeling laws. Most recently, their rallying
cry has been "uniformity" -- strip individual States and Municipalities
of their right to require standards higher than the uniformly minimal/low
standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and provide uniformly
low/minimal standards for all.
On March 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Bill H.R.
4167: The National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005. On March 9, 2006,
the bill was sent to the Senate (Senate Bill S 3128).
The GMA has been trying to get a bill like this passed by Congress for
a decade if not more. Why did it pass the House of Representatives
now?
Why now? It's a fascinating story.
There are three neurotoxic manufactured individual amino acids
popularly used in food: aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and l-cysteine.
Manufactured l-cysteine is most often used as a dough conditioner.
Manufactured aspartic acid is found primarily in the sugar substitute aspartame,
and in many food ingredients that contain manufactured glutamic acid. When
aspartame is used in a product, the word "aspartame" must appear on the
product's label. Manufactured glutamic acid is invariably found in
the flavor enhancer called "monosodium glutamate" and in over 40 other
ingredients with names like hydrolyzed soy protein, sodium caseinate, and
autolyzed yeast extract. It is very often found in products such
as natural flavoring.
Both manufactured glutamic acid and aspartic acid cause adverse reactions
such as migraine headache, atrial fibrillation, asthma, tachycardia, irritable
bowel, seizures, and depression in people who are sensitive to them and
ingest amounts that exceed their individual tolerance levels for these
substances. In addition, both are well know to have caused, and still
cause, brain lesions and subsequent endocrine disorders, seizures, retinal
degeneration, and learning and behavior disorders in animal studies.
For years, consumers concerned about the toxic effects of these two substances
have made a variety of attempts to have products containing manufactured
glutamate (MSG) labeled as such; while consumers concerned about the toxic
effects of aspartame (which must, by law be labeled) have made a variety
of attempts to have the use of aspartame outlawed.
The most recent attempt at banning sale of products containing aspartame
(a product owned by Ajinomoto, Company, Inc) was made in the State of New
Mexico, where several attempts have been made to have the New Mexican legislature
(which showed considerable support for banning the sale of aspartame) ban
the sale of products containing aspartame. Although a large number
of industry supported lobbyists have, to date, been successful in keeping
legislation banning the sale of products containing aspartame in New Mexico
from being passed, efforts to get the legislature to ban aspartame continue.
In New Mexico, safe-food advocates came closer to having aspartame
banned than they had ever come before. Dangerously close. We think
so dangerously close that manufacturers and industry users of aspartame
did something they thought would assure them that aspartame would never
be banned in New Mexico -- or anywhere else. We think that the National
Uniformity for Food Act of 2005 passed the House of Representatives this
year because Ajinomoto, Company, Inc., the world's largest producer of
"monosodium glutamate," individual amino acids, and "aspartame," added
their financial strength, their expertise, and the connections they have
used for over a quarter of a century to keep information about the toxic
effects of MSG hidden from the public. That's what we think. If you
want to know why we think that, read "The
Toxicity/Safety of Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG):A Study in Suppression
of Information."
If you are interested, you might want to ask any congresspersons from your
state who voted for the National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005 for copies
of their financial records to determine what food industry contributions
they have received. Names of members of the House of Representatives
who voted for the bill can be accessed at: (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll032.xml
or names)
Senate activity can be tracked at http://www.help.senate.gov/Bills.html
INDUSTRY'S
INITIATIVES
OPPOSITION TO THE "NATIONAL UNIFORMITY FOR FOOD ACT OF 2005"
" This is a bill that stands for ignorance. Keep people ignorant, and
they'll never know what's really in their food. That's exactly the way
the food industry wants to keep Americans: Under-informed and over-fed."
(NewsTarget)
"The goal is to override nearly 200 state laws and
make the Food and Drug Administration the final word for food labeling
on everything from fruit to nuts." (Nebraska
Journal Star)
"Attorneys general of 39 states sent a joint
letter to Congress noting the uniformity labeling proposal “eviscerates”
important consumer warnings now carried on labels in their states." (Nebraska
Journal Star)
"Four major states have already determined that this
bill will invalidate many of their food safety laws and regulations, leaving
wide gaps in the nation’s food safety chain. FDA does not have the staff,
authority or budget to step in to provide the same oversight. Large segments
of our consuming population will not be protected by any government oversight.
An aging population, new and emerging pathogens, large amounts of imported
foods, increasing concern about the security of the food supply and safety
of our consumers indicate a need for increased food, milk and shellfish
safety, not decreased oversight. Public confidence in the government’s
ability to ensure a safe milk, shellfish and food supply will be eroded.
A significant portion of BSE feed inspections and dairy, seafood and food
manufacturing/processing plant inspections are contracted to state agencies
and would not be done if the state’s laws and rules were invalidated because
they were not identical to the federal counterpart. State and local
compliance and enforcement procedures will not be able to remove adulterated
and contaminated products from commercial sale thereby endangering the
consumer. There would be no meaningful role for state and local agencies
as timely responders to terrorist threats and imminent health hazards when
notification and petitioning to the Secretary is required beforehand."
(Southeastern
Fisheries Association: HR4167-SoutheasternFisheries.html)
Following are articles culled from the Internet after the House of Representatives
passed the National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005. Some give
details not found in others. Reading them will help you understand what
the Grocery Manufacturers of America has just accomplished -- and the boon
that the National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005, if passed by the Senate,
will be to Ajinomoto Company, Inc., a company that has, since the 1980s,
fought hard and been successful, in keeping information about manufactured
glutamic acid (MSG) off food labels and hidden from the public, and has
beaten down every attempt by consumers to have aspartame banned. We begin
with an article from Consumers Union
which in September, 2004, and again in February, 2006, called
various versions of the National Uniformity for Food Act "uniformily
a disaster for consumers." (When available, both an Internet
source and a copy saved on our Web page are cited.)
"National Uniformity for Food Act – Uniformly A Disaster for Consumers!"
Consumers Union
September 28, 2004
(http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_food_safety/001400.html)
or HR4167-ConsumersUnion
Jean Halloran
Director, Consumer Policy Institute
"More food labeling needed, not less,"
Nebraska Journal Star, Lincoln,
Nebraska, March 12, 2006 (http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2006/03/12/business/doc4411f59a64be3469721392.txtor HR-4167-JournalStar.htm)
by Alan Guebert
"National Uniformity
for Food Act of 2003, HR
2699, Impact Analysis"
The Southeastern Fisheries Association Web page (http://www.southeasternfish.org/Legislative/National%20Uniformity%20for%20
Food%20Act%20of%202003%20.pdf)
or HR4167-SoutheasternFisheries.html)
Submitted by:
Shirley Bohm, Retail Food Protection Team
CDR Peter Pirillo, Shellfish Safety Team
CAPT Richard Eubanks, Milk Safety Team
March 26, 2004
"Urgent: Stop the National Uniformity
for Food Act (H.R. 4167) before it wipes out hundreds of food safety labeling
laws"
News Target (http://www.newstarget.com/019184.html)
or HR4167-NewsTarget.htm
Posted Saturday, March 04, 2006 by Mike Adams
"Political Action against National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005"
Accidental Hedonist Web page
03/01/06 at 05:30:00 am by Kate Hopkins
http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php/2006/03/01/political_action_against_national_unifor_2005or
HR4167-Accidental
Hedonist-3-1-06)
"Toxics: National
Uniformity for Food Act of 2005"
The Sierra Club Web site on March 15, 2006 (http://www.sierraclub.org/legislativetracker/109HR4167.asp
or HR4167-sierraClub)
Ed Hopkins
Director, Environmental Quality Program
ed.hopkins@sierraclub.org
202-547-1141
"National Environmental Health Association Position Regarding HR
4167: National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005" Adopted
February 3, 2006
National Environmental Health Association Position Paper (http://www.neha.org/position_papers/positionHR4167.htm)
or HR4167-NationalEnvironmentalHealth
Ron Grimes, RS, MPH, DAAS
President, National Environmental Health Association
"Congress Poised to Pass Bill Taking
Away Your Right to Know What's in Your Food"
Organic Consumers Association Web page on March 15, 2006 (http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:oxiR81xRTFwJ:www.organicconsumers.org/rd/labeling.cfm+National+Uniformity+of+Food+Act&hl
=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=18&ie=UTF-8
or HR4167-Organic)
"Congress vs. food safety "
Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee),
February 28, 2006
Editorial
HR4167-Chat
"The
Abusive New Federalism"
The
New York Times
Editorial
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IF
MSG ISN'T HARMFUL, WHY IS IT HIDDEN?
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