GMO Labeling Now Federal Law

President Obama last week signed into law the Senate bill creating mandatory disclosure and labeling for foods with ingredients from genetically modified crops.

Despite the political charge of the issue in the agricultural industry and among anti-biotech lobby groups, the news was buried in a long list of bills signed by the president, most of which involved renaming post offices around the country.

The law directs the U.S. secretary of agriculture to establish a national mandatory bioengineered food disclosure standard. The USDA has two years to draft the standard, which could include using scan codes on packaged foods.

The law preempts states from establishing separate standards. The Vermont law on GMOs is now superseded.

Source: DTN