As the owner of a food manufacturing business, I know Proposition 37 will be a disaster.
Prop 37 is a feel-good idea that attempts to address the issue of food labeling. While I certainly agree that citizens should know what is in the food they feed to their families, this initiative is a far cry from meeting those needs. At issue isn’t what Prop 37 claims to achieve, it is the fine print. It is riddled with exemptions that will make it a nightmare for food producers like me, and does very little to educate the consumers: two-thirds of the food we eat, regardless of how it was produced, will not have to meet the Prop 37 labeling requirements. These include such staples as milk, eggs, poultry, beef, and alcoholic beverages, as well as all food served in restaurants.
Moreover, if Prop 37 is passed, it will cost food producers and grocers millions of dollars. These costs will be passed on to consumers in higher food costs, raising the average family’s food bill by hundreds of dollars per year. Most importantly, Prop 37 will be enforced through lawsuits, just like California’s disability access laws. And just like those laws, Prop 37 will encourage shakedown lawsuits against grocers and food producers, hurting small businesses.
At the end of the day, Prop 37 won’t make our food supply safer or make the consumer any smarter about the food they are eating, but it will surely be a disaster. Please vote no on Proposition 37.
