WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today released the following statement following Senate passage of legislation that would require the first mandatory, nationwide label for food products containing genetically modified organisms – more commonly known as GMOs.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the fight for a more transparent food system,” Stabenow said. “This bipartisan bill ensures that consumers and families throughout the United States will have access, for the first time ever, to information about their food through a mandatory, nationwide label for food products with GMOs. The advocates that helped raise this issue to a national level should be proud of this accomplishment.
“This commonsense bill also is a step in the right direction for our nation’s farmers and food producers,” Stabenow said. “Throughout this process I worked to ensure that any agreement would recognize the scientific consensus that biotechnology is safe, while also making sure consumers have the right to know what is in their food. I also wanted a bill that prevents a confusing patchwork of 50 different rules in each state. This bill achieved all of those goals.
“Looking forward, it’s important that consumers, farmers, food manufacturers, and policy makers come together to address critical issues and pursue our shared goals of improving our food system.
I thank Senator Roberts and his staff for their bipartisan work on this agreement and call on leaders in the House to pass this bill immediately.”
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