Vilsack wants ‘strong foundation’ for GMO labeling law

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says he hopes to lay a strong foundation on which to build the new GMO labeling law before the Obama administration leaves office in January.

zimmytws, Bigstockphoto.com
zimmytws, Bigstockphoto.com

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says he hopes to lay a strong foundation on which to build the new GMO labeling law before the Obama administration leaves office in January.

The law, signed July 29 by President Barack Obama, requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to determine which food products and ingredients should be labeled as genetically modified organisms (GMO). Those products will be labeled by text, symbols or a bar code that can be scanned with smartphones. The USDA will have two years to develop the rules and regulations for the nationwide labeling program.

“What we can do in this administration is create a very strong foundation for this rule to make sure it is consistent with congressional directive, to make sure that it works in the marketplace, to make sure that it doesn’t give rise to unnecessary litigation risk, and that it is compliant with international rules and regulations,” Vilsack said on Wednesday.

While the Obama administration leaves office on January 20, 2017, Vilsack said “there is a lot of important work that can be done” before then.

“The practical reality is that the rule itself, given the need for public comment and the need for review and the administrative process that we have to go through, may take longer than this administration has. But if we lay the foundation right, I’m confident that the rule will be one that will work,” he said.

The USDA has set up a website and a 1-800 number where people can submit suggestions and comments on the law.

“That will allow us to better understand what folks are expecting out of this,” Vilsack said.

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