Following Senate passage of the GMO labeling bill last week, agriculture and food groups turned their attention to the House of Representatives, calling for quick consideration of the bill. And it looks like they’ll get it, as the House Rules Committee is set to consider the bill Tuesday afternoon, creating the potential for a final vote before Congress leaves Friday for a six-week recess.
The Senate bill makes GMO labeling mandatory, but gives food companies three options for disclosing the presence of GMO ingredients in a product—by text on the label, the use of a special symbol or a smartphone-readable electronic code.
Some Senators argued the QR code option will make it difficult for consumers to find the GMO information. But proponents, including Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, think it’s a viable option.
“I think there are ways in which we can use new technologies to provide consumers adequate information and full information without sending the wrong message about the safety of the food that’s being consumed in the United States,” Vilsack said.
Under the Senate bill, the USDA is given two years to develop the rules and regulations of a nationwide GMO labeling program. House Agriculture Committee chair Mike Conaway is concerned that the bill, as written, gives the USDA too much discretion is setting those rules. But Conaway says he will support the bill if and when it comes up for a vote in the House.
Source: brownfieldagnews.com