BIO Calls for “National Solution” to GMO Labeling Debate
Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act eliminates confusion, advances food safety
Washington, D.C. (March 25, 2015) – The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) supports the bipartisan Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act introduced today by Representatives Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and G. K. Butterfield (D-N.C.).
The bill would establish a federal standard for the safety and labeling of foods made with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), eliminating confusion, providing consistency in food labeling while keeping food costs affordable.
“Transparency in our food system is critical for 21st century consumers,” said Cathy Enright, BIO’s Executive Vice President for Food and Agriculture.
“This bill takes an important step towards reaffirming FDA as the national authority for food labeling policy, providing clarity around food labeling related to the presence or absence of GMO material, and making GMO food safety information publicly available. Likewise, GMO Answers is another resource where the public can get fact-based information on GMOs and learn more about the benefits of biotechnology.”
Approximately 80 percent of foods contain GMO ingredients. BIO says that food labeling needs to provide consumer information without favoring one farming practice over another and without disparaging science and technology.
“Food labels that scare – rather than inform – will propel the United States backward instead of forward in agricultural innovation,” said Enright. “The United States is the world leader in providing the safest, most reliable and most affordable food supply in the world. Our food labeling polices need to reflect this.”
BIO is a member of The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, which is dedicated to providing policy makers, media, consumers and all stakeholders with the facts about ingredients grown through GM technology. We are a farm-to-fork group of more than forty organizations advocating for common sense policy solutions that will only further enhance the safety of the GM crops and protect the vital role they play in today’s modern global food supply chain.