The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee continues to negotiate a legislative deal on GMO labeling before the Vermont law goes into effect next month. Committee Chairman Pat Roberts says negotiations are ongoing this week with the committee’s ranking member Debbie Stabenow. However, as the negotiations continue, two sets of groups remain dug in on each side of on-package language versus QR codes. The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food initially supported only voluntary labeling, but is now open to a legislative deal that would make GMO disclosure mandatory if other disclosure methods, like QR codes, 1-800 numbers, and websites, could be used.
The Center for Food Safety, the Organic Consumers Association, Food Democracy Now, and other advocacy groups are standing firm for on-package language, as will be required in Vermont.
Source: NAFB News Service