Source: MEATINGPLACE, 7/15/15

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee approved by voice vote a bill that would stop states from passing laws requiring labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and instead would create a process for food makers to apply for a non-GMO food label from USDA.

The legislation would override state laws already in place. It would also require the Food and Drug Administration to write rules for labeling foods as natural.

The bill, called the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, is supported by large food companies including Cargill, ConAgra Foods and Kraft Foods and industry groups including the National Turkey Federation and National Restaurant Association.

“The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 would avoid a costly and confusing patchwork of state-by-state labeling requirements by reaffirming FDA’s authority to decide when GMO foods should be labeled,” Cargill said in a statement.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) in a separate statement urged the full House to pass the bill before the August recess.

Vermont, Connecticut and Maine already have passed mandatory GMO labeling laws that have not yet taken effect. The GMA has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Vermont’s legislation.

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