Senate passes bill that could put QR code labels on GMO foods

But as Harvest Public Media’s Peggy Lowe reports, it’s still a food fight.

While we opposed the mandatory nature of this bill, the potential costs to consumers, farmers and ranchers of a state-by-state patchwork of unnecessary GMO labeling laws would have been damaging. Food makers can simply use on-package language, as was required by the Vermont bill, or they can use a USDA crafted symbol or code that will notify consumers on the food’s GMO status.

“The American people have a right to know what they’re eating”, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) said during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Former Whole Foods executive Eric Schweizer said in a statement: “Surveys consistently show 80-90 percent support for clear, concise labeling, exactly what thousands of products are already doing to comply with Vermont”.

The Senate passed the bill 63-30 late Thursday despite criticism that the bill’s definition of bioengineering was so tight that it would exempt from disclosure many highly refined ingredients, including oils and starches, and products developed through gene editing and other newer techniques. Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, to establish a national labeling standard for genetically engineered (GE) products and ingredients that would also preempt any and all state and local initiatives requiring that labeling. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, is insufficient. “The Senate has voted to move us one step closer to a uniform, national plan that will provide consumers easy access to information about genetically modified food”, said Duvall.

While the bill coasted through the Senate, the lead-up to the floor vote was actually pretty drama-filled. The label requirements would also apply to growers of fruits and vegetables that are genetically engineered.

The bill was backed by agricultural groups, large food manufacturers and the biotech industry, who were hoping to head off the more stringent standards which have been enacted into law in places like Vermont. Roberts and Stabenow gave to reach a solution on this issue that reaffirms the federal government’s role in food labeling policy.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) spoke against the bill during yesterday’s debate, describing it as “a farce of a proposal”.

Food ingredients made using biotechnology have been proven safe by more than 2,000 studies from leading scientific bodies worldwide.