House Agriculture takes the lead against GMO food labels
The House Agriculture Committee, a stronghold for conventional agriculture, will act first in Congress to prevent states from requiring labels on food made with genetically modified organisms.
House Commerce chairman backs state GMO preemption
The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce gave his support to legislation that would bar states from requiring labels on food made with genetically modified organisms and keep labeling voluntary on the federal level. In a statement, chairman Fred Upton thanked the Agriculture Committee "for working with us to get this bill through the House." The preemption bill is being handled by Upton's committee. Support by a chairman smooths the way for legislation.
USDA gets bigger role in GMO preemption bill
The sponsors of a House bill to prevent states from requiring special labels on GMO foods are considering a new version that would put the USDA in charge of certifying if foods are made from genetically modified organisms or not. The bill, filed by Mike Pompeo of Kansas and GK Butterfield of North Carolina, would keep labeling voluntary at the federal level.
Pompeo hopes to act early in 2015 against GMO labeling
Congress could act early in 2015 on legislation to pre-empt state and local requirements for labels on food made with genetically modified organisms, said Kansas Rep Mike Pompeo, sponsor of a bill to keep labeling voluntary.
GMO labeling fight to come to Congress in 2015
After three years of state-level referendums that cost $100 million, the fight over labeling GMO foods will come to Congress in 2015, say two organization leaders, Laura Batcha of the Organic Trade Association and Scott Faber of the Just Label It campaign. "The fight is shifting to D.C.," Faber told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by OTA. Batcha said "we really see 2015 as the year the fight moves to Washington."
House panel formally sets hearing on GMO labeling
The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday on labeling of GMO foods. The session, "Examining FDA's role in the regulation of genetically modified food ingredients," is expected to provide a...
Bakers protest, growers applaud US-Mexico sugar deal
The American Bakers Association says a tentative U.S.-Mexico agreement to control imports of sugar from Mexico "is not good for bakers or all other users of sugar," says Baking Business.
Two House chairmen put a bite on heat-and-eat
House Republicans, who have accused states of cheating by averting cuts in food stamps, have raised a new argument -- that state governments discriminate against some poor people by holding on to food stamps for other poor people.
Activists say Pompeo bill won’t stop GMO labeling drive
Advocates of mandatory labeling of foods made with GMO ingredients say they are not deterred by a U.S. House bill that would keep labeling voluntary and would pre-empt states from enacting labeling laws.
Pompeo, Butterfield unveil GMO pre-emption bill
Reps Mike Pompeo of Kansas and GK Butterfield of North Carolina will unveil a bill today to set a federal standard for labeling genetically engineered foods and block states from adopting labeling laws of their own.