Words designed to illuminate, disgust – or confuse?

Several weeks ago I was reading a food trade journal which was describing the development of new chemicals which would alter foods in order to boost the production of saliva, making things taste juicier or more refreshing, and improve the pleasurable sensation of melting fats. The technical terms used in the journal were ‘mouth feel’ and ‘oral wetting’… What a good thing that the consumers of the food rarely read trade journals.

However, this morning I was reading a report in Natural News on the proposed labelling for new GM salmon which will be three times larger than a non-GM salmon.  I quote:

As the GM salmon fiasco unfolds at the FDA (Food and Drink Administration), where scientists have found themselves lost in a highly technical discussion of things that don’t matter while ignoring the really important questions, we’ve learned that if genetically modified salmon is approved by the FDA, it won’t be labeled as such.

And here’s the real kicker: The biotech industry claims that labeling GM foods would just “confuse” consumers. Information, you know, can be so darned difficult to comprehend. All those words!
David Edwards, the director of animal biotechnology at the Biotechnology Industry Organization, explained in this way: “Extra labeling only confuses the consumer,” he says.

Seriously? So labeling GM salmon with the words “GENETICALLY MODIFIED SALMON” would confuse people?
Not really. It would, however, cause virtually everyone to not buy the salmon, which is precisely why they don’t want it honestly labeled as such.

But here’s the best part: Edwards goes on to say “[Labeling] differentiates products that are not different.”
Seriously? GM salmon isn’t different from regular salmon? Then why are they growing it?Why does it need FDA approval to enter the food supply? And why is all the technology used to create GM salmon patented if it’s no different?
What part of “modified” in the phrase “genetically modified” does David Edwards not comprehend? If you MODIFY something, then it’s DIFFERENT.
The FDA, for its part, says that requiring honest labeling of GM salmon would be “illegal” and so it can’t require such labels. This is all revealed in an excellent Businessweek article.

So let me translate these astonishing quotes for you in plain language. What the biotech industry is saying is that we’re all too stupid to understand the words “genetically modified” and that placing such words on a product would just “confuse us.”
And the FDA says placing a “genetically modified” label on genetically modified fish would be illegal!
Therefore, the only solution is to leave all consumers in the dark and hope nobody notices.