Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Opposes State Initiative 522

TACOMA, Wash. – The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s Board of Directors voted to oppose State Initiative 522 which concerns labeling of genetically-engineered foods.

The Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee’s (GAC) recommendation to oppose the initiative cited several compelling reasons:

• Misleading labeling that only includes selected foods.
• Costly labeling for Washington State only, impacting 70-80% of our foods – no other state has these requirements in place.
• Implies that genetically modified food is unsafe or unhealthy, all of which have been deemed safe by the FDA.
• Foods with certified organic labels cannot include genetically modified organisms, already allowing consumers to choose this option.
• Will raise prices for consumers (at an average of $490 a year) and cost farm jobs.