Bipartisan Bill Would Stop State GMO Food Labeling

The measure would put in place mandatory labeling of GMO products.

April 11, 2014

WASHINGTON – Legislation that would halt states from enacting different GMO (genetically modified organism) labeling requirements has been introduced by U.S. Representatives Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) — a bill that they claim would prohibit a patchwork of state labeling mandates related to GMOs, CQ Roll Call reports.

The American Farm Bureau hailed the “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2014” (H.R. 4432) as one that would initiate a “national-level discussion that will affirm FDA’s role in assuring consumers about GMO safety and reduce the confusion that would result from a patchwork of state labeling initiatives.”

According to a press release on Pompeo’s website, the bill would establish a federal labeling standard for foods with genetically modified ingredients, giving sole authority to the Food and Drug Administration to require mandatory labeling on such foods if they are ever found to be unsafe or materially different from foods produced without genetically modified ingredients.

“From the Kansas farmer’s harvest to a Kansas family’s table, our food supply is crucial to our economy, to our health, and to our way of life,” said Pompeo. “The Sunflower State has relied on technological advances in order to feed the world, and this bill would ensure our continued success in providing safe, affordable, and nutritious food.”

Butterfield said that the bill seeks to prevent “a mishmash of labeling standards and allows farmers to continue to produce higher yields of healthy crops in smaller spaces with less water and fewer pesticides. If passed, this will be a big win for farmers nationwide.”

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