The House on Thursday passed hotly contested legislation that would keep states from issuing mandatory labeling laws for foods that contain genetically modified organisms, often called GMOs.
The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, which passed 275-150, would instead create a federal standard for the voluntary labeling of foods with GMO ingredients.
Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), who authored the bill, called mandatory labeling laws — which have already passed in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine — unnecessarily costly given that GMOs have been deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Precisely zero pieces of credible evidence have been presented that foods produced with biotechnology pose any risk to our health and safety,” Pompeo said. “We should not raise prices on consumers based on the wishes of a handful of activists.”
Latest from Quality Assurance & Food Safety
- Director General of IICA and Senior USDA Officials Meet to Advance Shared Agenda
- EFSA and FAO Sign Memorandum of Understanding
- Ben Miller Breaks Down Federal Cuts, State Bans and Traceability Delays
- Michigan Officials Warn Recalled ByHeart Infant Formula Remains on Store Shelves
- Puratos USA to Launch First Professional Chocolate Product with Cultured Cocoa
- National Restaurant Association Announces Federal Policy Priorities
- USDA Offloads Washington Buildings in Reorganization Effort
- IDFA Promotes Andrew Jerome to VP of Strategic Communications and Executive Director of Foundation