FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2013
CONTACT:Organic
Consumers Association,
Katherine Paul, 207.653.3090; or
Alexis Baden-Mayer, 202-744-0853
FINLAND, Minn. - The
Organic Consumers Association (OCA) today announced its
opposition to efforts by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and
Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) to push the U.S. Food & Drug
Administration to finalize its 2001 guidance on voluntary GMO
labeling. The OCA
called on its million-plus network to petition Warren and
Udall to rescind their letter to the FDA, and to instead,
support states’ rights to enact laws requiring mandatory
labeling of genetically modified organisms and/or support the
Boxer bill, S. 809, a federal law that calls for mandatory
labeling of GMOs.
“Asking the FDA to rule on voluntary labeling of GMOs is a bad
idea, plain and simple,” said Ronnie Cummins, national director
of the Organic Consumers Association. “There’s a good chance,
based on past FDA rulings, that if the FDA finalizes its
guidance on voluntary labeling, it could mean the end of states’
rights to label GMOs, and the end of existing, legitimate
certified non-GMO labels.
“Frankly, we’re surprised that Sen. Warren, who has a stellar
track record as a consumer advocate, would choose this path,
which is endorsed by both Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers
Association. Ninety-three percent of Americans want mandatory –
not voluntary – GMO labeling laws. We hope the Senators Warren
and Udall will reconsider and rescind their request to the FDA
immediately.”
On August 22, Sen. Warren and Sen. Udall sent a joint
letter to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration urging the
agency “. . . to finalize its guidance document on labeling of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) marketed as food or food
additives.” Absent in either the letter, or a
press release from Sen. Warren’s office, was any mention of
the word “voluntary.” However, the actual FDA
document, Docket Number 00D-1598, referenced in the letter
clearly applies only to voluntary, not mandatory labeling.
If the FDA heeds Senators Warren and Udall, the agency could use
the voluntary guidance to preempt state laws requiring mandatory
labeling of GMOs. Currently, states have the right to enact GMO
labeling laws precisely because the FDA has not formally ruled
on GMO labeling. Once it does, state laws could be overturned.
The FDA’s guidance on voluntary GMO labeling also could be used
to put an end to existing, legitimate voluntary non-GMO labeling
efforts. By allowing the FDA, which has previously (and
controversially) ruled that GMO and non-GMO foods are
“substantially equivalent,” the FDA could rule against non-GMO
or GMO-free labels on the basis that they mislead consumers by
implying that there’s a difference between GMO and non-GMO
foods.
Senators Warren and Udall both have so far failed to support
federal
legislation that would have required mandatory labeling of
foods containing GMOs. Both also
voted against an amendment to the farm bill that would have
protected states’ rights to label GMOs.
More information
here.
The Organic Consumers
Association (OCA)
is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest
organization campaigning for health, justice, and
sustainability.
The Organic Consumers Fund is a 501(c)4 allied organization
of the Organic Consumers Association, focused on grassroots
lobbying and legislative action.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_28387.cfm