Sugarbeet growers and processors welcomed the passage of a bipartisan food labeling bill in the House by a vote of 306-117 Thursday, thus clearing the way for the bill to be signed into law by President Obama.
The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act was approved in the Senate 63-30 on July 7.
"This bill gives consumers across the country more information than ever before about genetically engineered ingredients in food while still protecting family farmers and small businesses from the costs and confusion of a patchwork of different state labeling mandates," said Galen Lee, president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. "The food and agriculture community came together like never before to advance a solution that works for consumers and stakeholders up and down the value chain."
Throughout the debate over GMO labeling, the U.S. beet sugar industry pointed out that it has been proven multiple times that in the processing of sugar from biotech sugarbeets all protein and DNA is removed. The sugar is identical to white sugar produced from conventional sugarbeets, sugarcane or organic sugarcane. All of these sugars are GMO free.
"Biotechnology helps farmers use fewer, safer pesticides and less fuel, reduce greenhouse gases, conserve water and decrease soil erosion while producing higher yields on less land," Lee said. "Sugarbeet growers overwhelmingly elect to use this technology to grow sugarbeets on their farms.
"On behalf of America's beet sugar industry, we urge President Obama to sign this bill into law as soon as it reaches the White House," Lee said.