Broadcast News From The Campaign to
Label Genetically Engineered Foods


Dear Health Freedom Fighters,

With over 1,000 people directly receiving this News Update e-mail list, we always expected that people opposing the labeling of genetically engineered foods would subscribe to keep abreast of our activities. Evidence of that taking place has emerged from the bizarre results in the Time magazine Internet poll. Please allow me to explain.

On October 22, 1999, we announced the Time magazine online poll on genetically engineered foods. At that time, the results were overwhelmingly running against genetically engineered foods. 76.04% were "Very Concerned" and only 19.48% were "Not Concerned at All." We encouraged our subscribers to vote in order to raise the "Very Concerned" level even higher.

Now a week and a half later only 48.31% are "Very Concerned" and 46.83% are "Not Concerned at All." We strongly suspect some people in favor of genetically engineered foods have tampered with this poll by voting over and over again. (Note: Most web polls use "cookies" to make it somewhat difficult to vote more than once. The Time poll does not appear to incorporate such a such safeguard against repeated voting.) http://www.pathfinder.com/time/daily/poll/0,2637,foodpoll,00.html

This Time magazine Internet poll is unscientific and even says so on the web site. It is sad that individuals in favor of genetically engineered foods appear to have engaged in flooding the polls with multiple votes. We have no proof that they have done so. But it is highly suspect since the majority of scientifically conducted polls have shown people overwhelmingly support labeling. For reference, below is a link to the Consumers Union web site summarizing the polls conducted over the past few years. http://www.consumer.org/food/summpollny699.htm

We suggest people ignore the current Time Internet web site poll since it no longer appears to have credibility. We suggest you refer to the Time magazine poll from January 11, 1999 and the other polls referred to at the Consumers Union web site showing over 80% of the public want labeling of genetically engineered foods.

Craig Winters
Executive Director
The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

The Campaign
PO Box 55699
Seattle, WA 98155
Tel: 425-771-4049
Fax: 603-825-5841
E-mail: mailto:label@thecampaign.org
Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org


Comments on this posting?

Click here to post a public comment on the Trash Talk Bulletin Board.

Click here to send a private comment to the Junkman.
1