Last updated on June 13th, 2024 at 05:26 pm
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) had praise for The Safe & Accurate Food Labeling Act filed this week by U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kansas) and U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-North Carolina.)
The bill would establish a federal labeling standard for food and beverage products made with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).
Pamela Bailey, president and CEO of GMA, said, “No matter where they live or shop, all Americans deserve to have access to consistent, understandable information about the food they are eating, and this federal legislation would eliminate consumer uncertainty created by a state-by-state patchwork of labeling laws, advance food safety, inform consumers and provide consistency in labeling.
“A single federal labeling standard for non-GMO and GMOs that is based on science would ensure that America’s farmers and food manufacturers work under a uniform standard across all 50 states and that consumers receive uniform, consistent information on GMOs. The alternative—a patchwork of state and local food laws across the country with different labeling mandates and requirements—will create confusion, cause significant new costs for Americans and lead to critical problems for our nation’s grocery supply chain.”
She said a federal law is needed that keeps the authority to set safe, reasonable and national labeling requirements regarding GMOs with U.S. government agencies that have decades of scientific and regulatory expertise in this area.
“The Grocery Manufacturers Association strongly supports this legislation, and urges the House and Senate to adopt this national standard for science-based food labeling,” Bailey said.
