New Issues
The report explained that while the CCSR judges proposals in the light of previously established precedence, "the ACSR is responsible for keeping abreast of new information or circumstances which may suggest a different position."
While the CCSR may abstain on less clear-cut issues, the ACSR often is forced to tackle issues that are garnering increased attention on the world stage.
This year, Tolchin said, genetically modified foods were for the first time a major issue. "All of a sudden bio-engineered foodstuff was a serious issue and the [ACSR] was split on it," he said.
The report described a proposal that called on multiple companies to remove genetically engineered ingredients from their products until more evidence about their safety is available.
The ACSR's debate on the measures, which involved Coca-Cola, Kellogg, Safeway, PepsiCo, Quaker Oats and McDonald's among others, centered on the question of the lack of evidence about the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). "Everybody agreed there was little information on the safety or danger of these products. People interpreted this fact differently," Tolchin said
Ultimately, the ACSR approved the proposals by margins that varied from one vote to six for the different companies. The CCSR, however, abstained on all of the proposals, "in anticipation of further ACSR discussion of this new and controversial issue," according to the report.
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