House bill targets GMO labels
Bill would block states from requiring disclosure
WASHINGTON – Food companies would not have to disclose whether their products include genetically modified ingredients under legislation passed by the House on Thursday.
The House bill is backed by the food industry, which has fought mandatory labeling efforts in several states. The legislation, which passed 275-150, would prevent states from requiring package labels to indicate the presence of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.
So far, Vermont is the only state set to require the labels. That law will take effect in July 2016 if it survives a legal challenge from the food industry. Maine and Connecticut have also passed laws requiring the labeling, but those measures don’t take effect unless neighboring states follow suit.
The country’s largest food companies say GMOs are safe and that labels would be misleading. They say a patchwork of laws around the country would be expensive for companies and confusing for consumers.
“The reality is, biotechnology has time and time again proved safe,” the bill’s sponsor, Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo, said on the House floor. “We should not raise prices on consumers based on the wishes of a handful of activists.”
Advocates for the labels say people have a right to know what is in their food.
“What’s the problem with letting consumers know what they are buying?” asked Vermont Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat.
Genetically modified seeds are engineered in laboratories to have certain traits, like resistance to herbicides. The majority of the country’s corn and soybean crop is genetically modified, with much of that going to animal feed.
There is no similar bill in the Senate, although Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., has said he is working on legislation.