“We’re probably five to 10 years away from understanding what that food label means for any real goal”.
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The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed the nation’s first federal law that requires food distributors to label products that contain genetically modified organisms, known as GMOs. The legislation is a bipartisan compromise that was developed on June 23 by the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, a Republican, and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat.
The bill passed on a 306-117 vote in the House on Thursday, and received Senate approval last week.
Farm groups and food manufacturing associations praised the passage of the bill, which was approved earlier this month by the Senate. Those labels appear to meet the requirements of the federal law, but the USDA will offer the definitive answer. “It’s a shame that Congress chose to replace our standard with a weaker one that provides multiple ways for the food industry to avoid transparent labeling”.
The bill also says there should be genetically modified material in the food to require labeling. “We urge the president to act immediately”.
The bill will continue the era of GMO labeling, which began with a number of major food companies announcing nationwide labels for products in the run-up to Vermont’s law being implemented. The bill would nullify Vermont’s GMO labeling law, which went into effect July 1, and prevent any other state from enacting a labeling law.
Whether President Obama would sign such a measure is unknown.
She said the measure also lacks teeth for holding companies accountable if they violate the labeling requirements.
This legislation brings continuity to the marketplace, ensuring that consumers have the access to product information they deserve without stigmatizing this safe, proven technology valued by American farmers. “Now that both houses of Congress have come together to address this important issue, we ask that the President take the final step by signing this legislation into law”. “The science already tells us they are safe to eat, and they are already helping us grow more food while protecting the environment and reducing our dependence on natural resources”.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will have two years to write the rules once President Barack Obama signs the bill into law.
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MacDonald says, “The FDA has the authority for labeling”.
