5 things: House bill would prevent mandatory GMO labeling – San Francisco

Following the White House’s recent action on GMOs, Representative Pompeo’s “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act” (H.R. 1599) was passed by the House Agriculture Committee on July 14.

Another amendment, by Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., would essentially set up a mandatory labeling system by requiring that any company that labels a product as genetically engineered overseas must label it the same way in the United States. The legislation scheduled for a vote July 23, 2015, is backed by the food industry, which has fought state labeling efforts around the country.

And the bill – H.R. 1599, which we’ve dubbed the DARK Act, for “Deny Americans the Right to Know” – goes beyond blocking state GMO labeling laws, like those on the books in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine.

Ag groups are pushing strongly for approval of the bill, which they say could avoid varying state laws that may create confusing standards for food producers and consumers. “Every reputable scientific study has found GMO crops to be just as safe as non-GMOs”, he said. “What’s is wrong with that?”

Manufacturers in more than 60 countries are required to label foods containing GMO ingredients.

But Colin O’Neil, director of government affairs for the Center for Food Safety, told CNBC that surveys have indicated that more than 90 percent of Americans support GMO labeling. Proponents of the bill say there are no allergies or health risks associated with GMO products so the public do not need mandatory labels. “We’ll let folks know whether their food has been genetically modified, because Americans should know what they’re buying”.

It would also require the FDA to issue rules on how the word “natural” can be used on food packages and prevent states from enacting any similar laws.

There is no similar bill in the Senate, although Sen.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has been supportive of genetically modified crops and has touted voluntary labeling solutions like special bar codes on packages to allow consumers to access information via smartphone.

The House is expected to debate the bill later soon. Many environmental and consumer groups are fundraising off the issue.