Groups Take on Biotech Labels

WASHINGTON (DTN) -- A coalition of farm, food processor and biotech groups has formed to push for a federal law requiring only the Food and Drug Administration be allowed to determine if ingredients from a biotech crop pose a health or safety risk that would demand a label.

FDA has never determined any food poses a health or safety risk simply because it contains ingredients derived from biotech crops.

The Coalition for Safe and Affordable Food consists of 29 agricultural or food-processing groups, spearheaded by the Grocery Manufacturers Association. The coalition made its formal roll out on Thursday with members telling reporters they are looking for lawmakers to sponsor legislation. The group is trying to stop the growing push in states to mandate labeling of foods from biotech crops, or genetically modified organisms, commonly called "GMOs" by biotech critics.

Pam Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturer's Coalition, said the groups involved in the effort reflect "an unprecedented food-value chain, farm to fork." A new law giving FDA some oversight would ensure safe and affordable access to food would continue, she said.

"We're advocating to Congress to develop a federal GMO labeling solution that will require a label for food containing GMO ingredients if the FDA, the nation's foremost food-safety food authority, determines there is a health or safety risk."

Food and agricultural groups in the coalition want a statutory requirement for FDA to review biotech traits before they are marketed. Then, FDA would also create a single, national standard for labeling foods with biotech crops that would come only after an FDA determination that such a label is needed for a particular product. "If there is no health or safety risk, then there should be no mandated labeling for foods with ingredients from biotech crops," Bailey said.

As much as 80% of U.S. food contains at least some ingredients from biotech crops because of the prevalence of biotechnology in growing corn, soybeans and sugar beets. Then there are a few fruits and vegetables that contain approved biotech traits as well.

"The best way to strike a balance that protects consumers without placing unnecessary burdens on family farmers and small businesses is to support a uniform labeling standard," said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council for Farmer Cooperatives.

The push for national legislation comes after food and biotech companies have spent nearly $70 million over the past two years to defeat biotech labeling ballot measures in California and Washington state. State legislatures in Connecticut and Maine have passed legislation to require biotech labels, but both laws also set high standards for enforcement. More than 30 states have seen comparable bills introduced. Thus, a key component of any legislation is that it would preempt any state laws requiring labeling of GMO foods.

"When you look at the real-world impact of these state-by-state regulations, it would cost too much for our farmers to bear," said Ray Gaesser, president of the American Soybean Association.

Gaesser pointed to Missouri, which is bordered by eight states. If every single one of those states passed its own labeling requirements and different thresholds for GM ingredients, the average soybean farmer would have to establish eight different supply chains.

"We continue to say this patchwork of labeling would really hinder us a lot," Gaesser said.

Enright said the coalition supports a statutory requirement for the FDA to review all biotech traits for food safety. Given that the priority is to ensure consumers have confidence in the food supply, Enright said members of the coalition are willing to accept the added layer of bureaucracy that would come with having a biotech trait approved by USDA, in some cases, EPA, and now potentially FDA.

"The conversation about biotech food labeling is a national discussion calling for a national solution," said Cathleen Enright, an executive vice president of BIO.

The coalition is not advocating that companies be prevented from promoting products that do not have ingredients derived from biotech crops. General Mills announced last month the company would not include any ingredients from biotech crops in Cheerios. That effectively amounted to General Mills switching its cornstarch and ensuring that sugar used for Cheerios would not come from biotech sugar beets. Anti-biotech groups and consumers praised General Mills' move. It is likely the new Cheerios will be labeled as "GMO-free."

So far, no lawmaker has introduced legislation seeking what the coalition wants to achieve. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., have introduced a bill requiring labels for all food that includes ingredients from biotech crops.

Thus, the Center for Food Safety, a supporter of GMO labeling, denounced the coalition and efforts to use the FDA to block such labeling efforts in individual states.

"These companies spent nearly $70 million in California and Washington State to defeat GE labeling initiatives. They know that the food movement's power is growing and that labeling is not a matter of if but when," said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety. "These companies have failed to win over consumers who overwhelmingly support the mandatory labeling of GMOs and now they're trying to steal away consumer choice in Congress."

Chris Clayton can be reached at chris.clayton@dtn.com

(AG/CZ)

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