Although he put legislation to pre-empt state GMO food-labeling laws on the table, Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts is apparently willing to modify the proposal. Said an aide: “Negotiations are ongoing.”
The Agriculture Committee is scheduled to vote on Thursday on the “chairman’s mark” proposed by Roberts, which also would set up a system for voluntary labeling of food as GMO or non-GMO. “The time to act is now,” said Roberts in a statement, referring to Vermont’s first-in-the-nation labeling law that takes effect July 1.
No Democrats have announced support for the Roberts plan. An aide to the chairman declined to discuss how many of the 20 committee members — 11 Republicans and nine Democrats — backed the proposal. The Republican-controlled House passed a more comprehensive bill last summer by a 2-to-1 margin, but the legislation stalled in the Senate for lack of bipartisan support.
Almost all of the corn and soybeans grown in the United States are genetically engineered. As a result, GMOs are found in most of the processed foods sold in the country. Foodmakers and farm groups say GMO labeling would drive up grocery costs if processors have to redesign labels and distribution routes to comply with packaging rules that vary from state to state.
“The truth is, food companies change their labels all the time,” said labeling advocate Scott Faber of the Environmental Working Group. “Adding a few words to the back of the package as part of a routine label change will have no impact on the cost of making food.”
The food industry launched a SmartLabel campaign last fall that relies on QR codes on food packages that shoppers can scan with smartphones to learn about ingredients, including GMOs. Half a dozen senators, including presidential aspirant Bernie Sanders, questioned the practicality of the system. In reply, the Grocery Manufacturers Association said SmartLabel was “transformative … a new modern way to provide the additional information that consumers seek.” There soon will be SmartLabel apps to complement an Internet database and a toll-free number, GMA said. “Information will be available to anyone with an Internet connections or a phone.”