GMO Bill Becomes Law

President Obama signed into law legislation that renders all potential state statutes on the labeling of foods containing GMOs null and void.

August 02, 2016

WASHINGTON – On July 29, President Obama signed into law a new federal standard for the labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

More than a year of debate in Congress about how the federal government should treat GMO labeling has come to an end. A 2014 Vermont law requiring products containing GMOs to be labeled as of July 1, 2016, brought the issue to the national stage.

As other state legislatures began to consider GMO labeling legislation, grocery manufacturers, food producers and large retailers asked Congress to intervene with federal legislation that would preempt state and local labeling laws.

Now that the president has signed the legislation into law, the USDA will have two years to write the final rule that will govern GMO labeling. While most everyone agrees that a national standard is preferable, it is important that the USDA maintains the intent of Congress and considers the impact on retailers in rulemaking. 

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