Critics call it Frankencorn and conjure up images of protesters attacking the World Trade Organization. Supporters say genetically engineered foods are the best chance the world has of meeting its food needs.

State Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, said Tuesday it does not matter which side consumers support, as long as they know what they are buying.

Tupa introduced Senate Bill 146 to require that genetically engineered foods be accompanied by a notice that it has been altered. That includes foods that contain genetically altered products.

The bill exempts food served in restaurants and prepared for immediate consumption. The bill is scheduled to be heard Monday in the Senate business committee.

Violators could be found guilty of misbranding, a misdemeanor.

"I know when you talk about genetically engineered food, it conjures up Frankenfoods and protesters against the WTO, but that is not what Senate Bill 146 is about," Tupa said.

Tupa said he switched recently to eating organic food and was surprised to find there was no requirement that genetically engineered food be labeled.

The altered foods were produced when scientists combined genes from other plants, animals or bacteria in an attempt to improve crops such as corn, tomatoes and potatoes. Some of those crops have made their way into the food supply.

Pat West, spokesman for the Consumer Coalition for Food Labeling, said the genetic engineering may have unintended consequences, producing allergens, toxins, carcinogens and antibiotic resistance in humans.

"I do not want to be a guinea pig in this grand global experiment," West said.

Dave Carter, president of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, said his group, which represents 22,000 farmers statewide, supports the labeling.

Supporters have argued that the foods produced through genetic engineering are different than their natural counterparts, but Suzanne Wuerthele, a toxicologist, disagreed.

"Genetically engineered foods are so different from their natural counterparts they can be patented," she said.

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