On July 23, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, eliciting praise from the nation’s largest agricultural organization.
H.R. 1599 would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority on the use and labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients. If enacted, it would create a voluntary labeling program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Marketing Service, which also administers the USDA Organic Program.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said Congress “stood with farmers and ranchers … in supporting innovation that helps the environment and keeps food prices down for everyone. The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 would protect consumers from confusing and misleading GMO labels and create a national, voluntary labeling standard based on science and common sense.”
Earlier this year, Stallman asserted that state-led mandatory food labeling incentives “mislead consumers about the safety of GM foods, even though there is no credible evidence linking a food-safety or health risk to the consumption of GM foods.”
Consumers and farmers benefit from variety in the marketplace, Stallman said, and Americans should be free to make food choices based on facts. “The facts are that many farmers are growing more food with fewer resources, reducing their environmental impact and keeping costs down—all thanks to advances in biotechnology.”
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