Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 8 POTATO GROWER GMO Labeling Law: On To The Details Now that President Obama has signed S. 764 and made mandatory disclosure of bioengineered food the law of the land, the focus moves to the rulemaking process. S. 764 is compromise legislation, endorsed by NPC, and crafted by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking member Debbie Stabenow. The legislation establishes federal preemption on food labeling and includes a variety of options for meeting mandatory disclosure including text, symbol or electronic digital link. Food served in restaurants is exempt, as are ani- mals who consume bioengineered feed. The definition of bioengineer- ing as referring to a food “for which the modification could not other- wise be obtained through conven- tional breeding or found in nature” is one that supports modern agricul- ture and is less limiting. It would have been calamitous if the defini- tion had applied to traditional breeding techniques and hybridiza- tion. NPC’s concern over labeling of a food product when there is no connection to a food safety or human health concern remains, but the compromise was the best way forward. NPC can envision how the labeling law will have positive effects on the marketplace. First, consumers should be pleased to have more information about their foods. Those who read labels already will be on the lookout for this informa- tion, as they requested. Second, a patchwork of 50 state laws has suc- cessfully been avoided. Under that scenario, many consumers would have been confused about what the differences were by state and whether their state mandated some- thing different. The nationwide law also helps prevent increased food costs, which were likely under the state-by-state plans. In the rulemaking process, USDA must wrestle with determining the threshold level of GMO ingredients present to trigger labeling and whether to label food products pro- duced from GMO commodities where detection is impossible in the NPC Mes sage by John Keeling, NPC Executive Vice President and CEO