bake - August 2015 - 14

legislation

GMOs Back in the Spotlight
The House Committee on Agriculture on July 14 approved H.R.

to pass it before the August recess," says Pamela Bailey, presi-

1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015. The

dent and CEO of the GMA. "This critically important bipartisan

bill, which was introduced in March by representatives Mike

legislation will ensure that Americans have accurate, consistent

Pompeo of Kansas and G.K. Butterﬁeld of North Carolina, has

information about their food rather than a 50-state patchwork

evolved through bipartisan discussions between the Agriculture

of labeling laws that will only prove costly and confusing for

Committee and the Committee on Energy and Commerce

consumers, farmers and food manufacturers.

Committee.
With Vermont's state labeling mandate law for foods with
The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act is designed to

bioengineered ingredients schedule to go into effect in

prevent individual states from passing legislation requiring the

July 2016, the GMA is ratcheting up its calls for Congress to

labeling of food and beverage products containing bioengi-

pass federal legislation establishing a uniform food labeling

neered ingredients.

standard.

The American Bakers Association praised members of the

The GMA is challenging the Vermont law in federal court but

House on passage of the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling

warned that food manufacturers must plan for its implementa-

Act, which creates a voluntary "non-GMO" labeling standard

tion. In the process, they have identiﬁed even more costs and

modeled after the popular National Organic Program.

challenges, the GMA said.

"Today's strong bi-partisan vote once again proves that a

Among more recently emerging concerns is a clause ﬁning

costly state-by-state patchwork of labeling standards does not

food companies up to $1,000 per day if a mislabeled product

make sense," says ABA president & CEO Robb MacKie. "ABA

is found on Vermont shelves, even if the manufacturer was not

thanks Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and Rep. G.K. Butterﬁeld

responsible for it being in the store.

(D-N.C.), along with the other 104 cosponsors of the bill, on
their hard work in ensuring that consumers across the country

The GMA estimated that national food supply chains, even with

are presented with the same food labels no matter where they

state-of-the-art supply chain logistics, could see 5 percent to

shop. It is now time for the Senate to act in order to guarantee

10 percent of products mislabeled in stores at any given time.

that labeling is uniform across state lines and to prevent food

This could cost the industry as much as $10 million per day, the

costs from skyrocketing."

GMA said.

Other groups including the Grocery Manufacturers Association

Also in July, the White House Office of Science and Technology

(GMA) praised passage of the bill. "Today's House Agriculture

Policy announced the Obama administration will modernize the

Committee vote is further evidence of the growing support and

nation's system for regulating bioengineered crops and other

momentum in Congress for this bill, and we urge the full House

products of biotechnology.

14 < AUG 2015 | bakemag.com
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bake - August 2015

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