Dive Brief:
- At a House Committee on Agriculture hearing, six witnesses argued how unnecessary the labeling of genetically modified foods would be and how these labels could actually be detrimental to farmers, manufacturers, and consumers.
- Chris Policinski, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes, cited declarations by the FDA and European Commission that GMOs are safe for consumption and thus do not require special labeling.
- Another witness, Thomas Dempsey, Snack Food Association president and CEO, said, “Going down a path which calls for mandatory GMO labels sets a bad precedent for future calls for mandatory labels for issues that are not related to food safety or nutrition.”
Dive Insight:
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization announced research results that showed probable carcinogenic effects of glyphosate, an herbicide sold as Roundup, which most of Monsanto's engineered crops are grown with. The Wall Street Journal reports, "'We are outraged with this assessment,' Robert Fraley, Monsanto’s chief technology officer, said Monday, arguing that the finding was derived from 'cherry picking' data based on an 'agenda-driven bias.'"
House Republicans are taking a new angle to prevent more mandatory GMO labeling laws from passing at the state level. They are preparing to introduce legislation that would create a new government certification for foods that contain no genetically modified ingredients. Inspired by the "USDA Organic" label, the new certification label would be voluntary and enable companies to promote their products as GMO-free while relieving other companies of any mandatory labeling policies.