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Washington, Jul 25 -

Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, introduced six bills today that will provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for all genetically engineered plants, animals, bacteria, and other organisms.

The six bills include the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act of 2003, which requires food companies to label all foods that contain or are produced with genetically engineered materials and instructs the Food and Drug Administration to conduct periodic tests to ensure compliance. Also introduced today were the Genetically Engineered Food Safety Act of 2003, the Genetically Engineered Crop and Animal Framer Protection Act of 2003, the Genetically Engineered Organism Liability Act of 2003, the Real Solutions to World Hunger Act of 2003 and the Genetically Engineered Pharmaceutical and Industrial Crop Safety Act of 2003.

“This is a basic consumer safety issue,” stated Kucinich. “ People have a right to know what is in the food they are eating, and that the food is safe. That is the goal of these bills. It is well past time that Congress change current food safety and environmental laws because the laws were not written with this technology in mind.”

Combined Kucinich’s bills would ensure that consumers are protected, increase food safety, protect farmers rights, make biotech companies liable for their products, and help developing nations resolve hunger concerns.