The stakes in the debate over labeling genetically altered foods
will rise this week when Consumer Reports magazine lists the
products that contain bioengineered ingredients. It comes at a
time when calls are being heard in Congress to label food and
let consumers make informed decisions. When Consumer Reports'
new issue hits the stands this week, the magazine will identify
for its 4.7 million readers which of their favorite tortilla
chips, muffin mixes and even baby foods contains genetically
modified ingredients. Naming these foods by brands will add fuel
to an emerging debate in the United States over policies that
allow Americans to routinely eat genetically modified food
without knowing it. The 15-country European Union, as well as
Australia and New Zealand, has ordered the labeling of foods
with modified DNA. The Japanese government has just published a
list of 30 modified foods, including tofu, that soon must carry
labels. Government attitudes abroad contrast starkly with those
in the United States. He