House Ag approves Pompeo GMO labeling bill
July 14, 2015 |01:26 PM
The House Agriculture Committee today approved an amended version of the bill introduced by Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., that would allow labeling of foods with genetically modified ingredients only at the federal level.
The bill was approved by voice vote, with little opposition.
“The current patchwork system of varied labels interferes with the free flow of goods across the country, posing a real threat to interstate commerce and typically results in inconsistent and confusing information for consumers,” House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Kan., said.
“Creating a uniform national policy regarding biotechnology labeling is the free market solution that will allow consumers access to meaningful information, create market opportunities for those on the production and processing side, and will facilitate future innovation.”
Conaway also made a lengthy opening statement in which he said, “The Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research Subcommittee recently examined the programs of the Agricultural Marketing Service. The subcommittee concluded that the agency has the resources and expertise to develop and administer a robust marketing program for those wishing to notify consumers of the presence or absence of genetically engineered ingredients in their food products.”
“What the agency doesn’t have is the law to make it work uniformly across the country like we did 25 years ago when we passed the Organic Foods Production Act.” (See link.)
House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., urged Democrats to support the bill.
“Consumers increasingly want to know more about where their food comes from and how it is produced,” Peterson said.
“I think H.R. 1599 satisfies that demand while also recognizing what we know about the safety of the foods that our farmers produce. The bill is a workable solution that will alleviate the potential mess of 50 states with 50 different labeling schemes.”
House Agriculture Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research Subcommittee Chairman Rodney Davis, R-Ill., introduced the substitute worked out with the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Food and Drug Administration.
“As a parent, I believe it is important to have national and reliable food labels and this bill does that by allowing for an effective, uniform labeling system that consumers can trust,” Davis said.
“Without a national standard, we risk the spread of misinformation and increased food costs. Just as consumers can go to the grocery store and identify organic products, this bill will allow them to do the same with GMO-free products."
The Coalition for a Safety Affordable Food Supply, an industry group that opposes labeling at the state level, praised the vote and urged the House to vote on it before the August recess.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said she would join with organic food producer Gary Hirschberg and Scott Faber of the Environmental Working in a news conference today to oppose the bill.
Pingree said the bill would make it harder for the Food and Drug Administration tocreate national GMO labeling rules in the future; nullify state laws that require the labeling of GMO products — including one recently passed in Maine —and other state and local efforts to regulate GMOs; an prohibit food companies from suggesting that non-GMO foods are superior to GMO foods.
Matthew O’Mara, acting executive vice president of food and agriculture for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, said “Today’s strong bipartisan support in the House Agriculture Committee provides substantial momentum towards national labeling uniformity. We stand with a broad community of farmers, growers and food manufacturers in encouraging the full House to act on the bill within the coming weeks.”
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has not scheduled a markup and no companion bill has been introduced in the Senate.
Davis and Peterson said that the plan is for the House Agriculture and the Energy and Commerce committees to hold a markup rather than for the Energy and Commerce Committee to hold a markup and the letters would clear the way for a floor vote, the Food and Environment Reporting Network said.
The bill was approved by voice vote, with little opposition.
“The current patchwork system of varied labels interferes with the free flow of goods across the country, posing a real threat to interstate commerce and typically results in inconsistent and confusing information for consumers,” House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Kan., said.
“Creating a uniform national policy regarding biotechnology labeling is the free market solution that will allow consumers access to meaningful information, create market opportunities for those on the production and processing side, and will facilitate future innovation.”
Conaway also made a lengthy opening statement in which he said, “The Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research Subcommittee recently examined the programs of the Agricultural Marketing Service. The subcommittee concluded that the agency has the resources and expertise to develop and administer a robust marketing program for those wishing to notify consumers of the presence or absence of genetically engineered ingredients in their food products.”
“What the agency doesn’t have is the law to make it work uniformly across the country like we did 25 years ago when we passed the Organic Foods Production Act.” (See link.)
House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., urged Democrats to support the bill.
“Consumers increasingly want to know more about where their food comes from and how it is produced,” Peterson said.
“I think H.R. 1599 satisfies that demand while also recognizing what we know about the safety of the foods that our farmers produce. The bill is a workable solution that will alleviate the potential mess of 50 states with 50 different labeling schemes.”
House Agriculture Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research Subcommittee Chairman Rodney Davis, R-Ill., introduced the substitute worked out with the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Food and Drug Administration.
“As a parent, I believe it is important to have national and reliable food labels and this bill does that by allowing for an effective, uniform labeling system that consumers can trust,” Davis said.
“Without a national standard, we risk the spread of misinformation and increased food costs. Just as consumers can go to the grocery store and identify organic products, this bill will allow them to do the same with GMO-free products."
The Coalition for a Safety Affordable Food Supply, an industry group that opposes labeling at the state level, praised the vote and urged the House to vote on it before the August recess.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said she would join with organic food producer Gary Hirschberg and Scott Faber of the Environmental Working in a news conference today to oppose the bill.
Pingree said the bill would make it harder for the Food and Drug Administration tocreate national GMO labeling rules in the future; nullify state laws that require the labeling of GMO products — including one recently passed in Maine —and other state and local efforts to regulate GMOs; an prohibit food companies from suggesting that non-GMO foods are superior to GMO foods.
Matthew O’Mara, acting executive vice president of food and agriculture for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, said “Today’s strong bipartisan support in the House Agriculture Committee provides substantial momentum towards national labeling uniformity. We stand with a broad community of farmers, growers and food manufacturers in encouraging the full House to act on the bill within the coming weeks.”
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has not scheduled a markup and no companion bill has been introduced in the Senate.
Davis and Peterson said that the plan is for the House Agriculture and the Energy and Commerce committees to hold a markup rather than for the Energy and Commerce Committee to hold a markup and the letters would clear the way for a floor vote, the Food and Environment Reporting Network said.
