Voters in Colorado and Oregon will decide this November whether or not they want labels on foods containing genetically modified ingredients. The ballot measures this fall highlight a much larger national conversation about requiring labels on genetically modified foods.

Similar measures failed in recent years in California and Washington state, and Vermont is being sued for the labeling law it enacted earlier this year.

“This boils down to a consumer’s right to know,” says Ben Hamilton, a human resources consultant. “So it’s not to debate whether GMOs are safe or they’re good for you or bad for you. But it is about a right to know what’s in our food supply.”

Many scientists worry labels could confuse consumers, especially given the proposals’ exemptions. The meat or milk from a cow that had been fed GMO corn and hay wouldn’t be labeled. Neither would chewing gum, alcohol or pet food.

Larry Cooper, leader of Colorado Right To Know, says the proposal had to be narrowly written. “We had to be very careful what subjects we put in the ballot. Yes, we’ve eliminated some specific areas, but certainly they can be added later,” says Cooper.

Regardless of the outcomes in Colorado and Oregon in November, with more states taking up the issue, the national debate about GMO labeling is far from over.

Read the full article: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/10/07/354306688/voters-get-their-say-on-gmo-labeling-in-colorado-oregon