By Greg Halbleib

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) says although fears about genetically modified foods are misguided, he favors legislation regulating GMO labeling so that consumers know what those IDs mean.

Davis says any current non-GMO labels don’t provide any insight into the product.

“You and I can walk down the aisles and I can point out labels that say non-GMO,” the Taylorville Republican told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin. “You would say, what does that mean? I would say no one knows because there is no process, and because of that it has become a marketing tool rather than an educational tool.”

Davis adds that fears of GMO products are unfounded.

“Not one scintilla of scientific evidence shows that they’re harmful to anyone,” said Davis. “Frankly, the biotechnology process used to genetically modify seeds allows us to grow more food. We’re not going to grow any more farms, so we have to figure out how to grow more food on the farms that we have, and that’s what biotechnology and GMO seeds mean.”

A bill is moving through Congress that would provide regulations on non-GMO labeling.

PODCAST: Listen to Congressman Davis’ interview with Scott Laughlin here.

Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected].