Grocery Manufacturers Association Seeks Federal Legislation against GMO-Labeling Mandates

Here is more information about the possibility of national GMO labeling (also blogged here)

Capital Public Radio reports on food industry lobbying groups that seek to federal legislation making the labeling of GMO foods voluntary, not mandatory, thereby preempting a state’s ability to adopt more rigorous policies related to the labeling of GMO foods.  One of those lobbying groups is the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) (whose website offers visitors to “Get the Facts on GMOs” with reference to a  Fact Sheet promoting the benefits of food biotechnology provided by IFIC’s website).  The Capital Public Radio report quotes Louis Finkel (see link for bio), the Executive Vice President for Government Affairs for the GMA who states, “Government mandates a label to convey important information about health, safety and nutrition to consumers.  Any other mandatory label would just be confusing and misleading."

In that report, Finkel also states, “We shouldn’t be making food safety and labeling decisions through political campaigns on a state by state basis.  All Americans deserve to have a uniform system that they can rely on that’s based on sound science and based on our preeminent food safety authority which is FDA.”

But, according to Just Label It (referencing a survey conducted by The Melman Group), support for mandatory labeling of GMOs is nearly unanimous among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.  It’s clear that much of the public is interested in knowing whether foods include GMO ingredients or not.  Just Label It also cites consistent surveys by other media sources, such as

•  93% believe GE foods should be labeled (10/10,Thomson Reuters PULSE™ Healthcare Survey, “National Survey of Healthcare Consumers: Genetically Engineered Food”)

•  96% believe genetically modified foods should be labeled (6/11, MSNBC)

•  95% of consumers believe GE foods should be labeled (11/08, Consumers Union, “Food-Labeling Poll: 2008,” p. 13)

•  94% believe genetically modified food should be labeled (9/10, Washington Post)

•  93% of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods (6/11, ABC News)

So, while Finkel articulates a need for a uniform system of demonstrating food safety that’s not confusing or misleading to consumers, he seems to disregard that consumers by and large want foods with GMO ingredients to be labeled so that they’re NOT confused at the grocery store.

Finkel, also as a representative of the GMA, expressed opposition to grocery chain Whole Foods’s announcement in March of 2013 giving their suppliers five years to either source non-GMO ingredients or to clearly label products with ingredients containing GMOs.  Finkel’s response was that, “These labels could mislead consumers into believing that these food products are somehow different or present a special risk or a potential risk.”  Again, he appears to express an interest in avoiding consumers being misled by such labeling, even though they want such labels.  Here’s a New York Times article covering the Whole Foods announcement and referencing comments either expressing praise (e.g., Just Label It), disapproval (e.g., Finkel’s), or ambivalence (e.g., Karen Batra of BIO, a biotech industry trade group representative) toward the decision by Whole Foods.

This post was prepared by William Mitchell College of Law student David Gower