EWG and other consumer groups signal alarm over progress of federal GM bill.

• As covered previously on this blog, on March 25, 2015, Reps. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and G. Butterfield (D-NC) reintroduced the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, which would prohibit states from mandating the labeling of GM foods.  The bill also would create a voluntary certification process for companies that want to claim that their products are “GM-free.”   On June 10, 2015, Pompeo and Butterfield circulated a revised discussion draft.
• On June 18, 2015, the House Subcommittee on Health held a meeting to discuss the role biotechnology plays on the nation’s farms, food supply, and economy and heard from industry and legal experts regarding the impact of state-specific labeling regulations on interstate commerce and consumers.
• Following the hearing, a number of consumer groups, including the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the Organic Consumers Association, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, raised alarm over the progress of the proposed legislation, which they have dubbed the DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act.  The draft legislation, while heralded by many stakeholders as critical to putting a stop to a patchwork of state-based GM labeling requirements, is likely to continue to raise concerns from consumer groups.