Defining Moment for Senate GMO Food Labeling Bill

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‘Defining moment’ for Senate GMO food labeling bill is how one congressional source put the matter.

Key senators keep talking. Senate Ag Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and ranking member Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) still have not come up with a unified approach to the thorny labeling issue, with discussions continuing.

Urgency is an issue ahead of Vermont’s July 1 implementation date for its first-in-the-US GMO food labeling law.

Reformulation is a major development as some sugarbeet contracts reportedly have been canceled, as more sugar users switch from GMO sugarbeets to GMO free cane. This has led to higher cane prices and the call in the US among sugar users for more cane imports – USDA this morning made a sugar import policy announcement (link for details).

Dairy interests are closely watching the development as concern mounts that some in the industry have announced intentions to reformulate their products to contain no GMO products.

Comments: The GMO labeling issue continues to have growing implications, as witnessed by USDA’s press release this morning on several actions taken to boost U.S. sugar supplies amid a major restructuring in the industry. USDA cited the labeling issues in its release. As noted above, some dairy interests are also very anxious about the topic and hope Sens. Roberts and Stabenow come to agreement as some dairy interests have openly announced they will reformulate their products to contain no GMO products. If this continues, one food industry contact said, “it could have major implications ahead for the entire biotech industry relative to agriculture.”

NOTE: This column is copyrighted material; therefore reproduction or retransmission is prohibited under U.S. copyright laws.