Ag Policy Blog
Food Groups Push Federal Biotech Labeling Law
An article Tuesday in Politico reported some of the nation's biggest food lobbies, including the Grocery Manufacturers Association, have drafted a bill that would prevent states from creating their own biotech labeling laws. Instead, the food industry wants the Food and Drug Administration to take on a bigger role in biotech oversight and would create standards for labeling food as "GMO-free."
According to the draft document posted by Politico and the Environmental Working group, the bill "would create a uniform, national program governing the premarket review and labeling of genetically engineered foods."
The bill comes after food and biotech companies have spent nearly $70 million over the past two years to defeat biotech labeling ballot measures in California and Washington State. State legislatures in Connecticut and Main have passed legislation to require biotech labels. Comparable bills were debated last year in at least a dozen other states.
“We believe that it’s important for Congress to engage and provide FDA with the ability to have a national standard” on GMO food labeling, Louis Finkel, head of government affairs for GMA, told Politico. “A 50-state patchwork of regulations is irresponsible.”
Biotech issues continue to fester. The issues took on a new life last week when General Mills announced it would not include any ingredients from biotech crops in Cheerios. That effectively amounted to General Mills switching its cornstarch and ensuring that sugar used for Cheerios would not come from biotech sugar beets. Anti-biotech groups and consumers praised General Mills' move. It is likely that the new Cheerios will be labeled as "GMO free."
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Under the proposed legislation, companies would have to submit information to FDA about "bioengineered food" in its products. FDA would only be allowed to require a label if the biotech ingredients create a "material difference" to comparable foods without biotech ingredients. "The use of bioengineering does not, by itself, constitute a material difference."
Companies could make claims that their food products do not contain any biotech ingredients only if they have full traceability systems in place.
Also, the bill would preempt any state labeling laws that are not identical to the federal program.
The hype on biotechnology also comes after the New York Times reported Sunday on a city councilman in Kona, Hawaii, who became skeptical over the complete negative campaigns against GMOs in his state.
A copy of the legislative proposal: http://dld.bz/…
The full Politico article: http://www.politico.com/…
The NYT piece: http://www.nytimes.com/…&
Follow me on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN.
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