House Passes Bill Blocking Mandatory GMO Labels

We thought the debate over genetically modified foods got pretty heated when Chipotle threw its burritos into the ring. But now, it's heating up even more: This week, the House passed a bill that could block mandatory state GMO-labeling requirements. The Safe And Accurate Food Labeling Act Of 2015 (also dubbed the "Deny Americans The Right To Know" act by its opposition), was introduced in March of this year. If also passed by the Senate, the bill could block the actions of states such as Vermont and Connecticut, which have instituted mandatory GMO-labeling laws. “It’s outrageous that some House lawmakers voted to ignore the wishes of nine out of 10 Americans,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, in a press release. However, he says he's confident the Senate will defeat the bill. Still, Faber argues the legislation would be a huge blow to transparency in food: "Americans should have the same right as citizens of 64 other countries to know what’s in their food and how it’s grown," he says. While average consumers may be wary of GMOs, this is an issue that the general public and scientists continue to disagree on. Proponents of the bill emphasize that there isn't any good evidence to suggests GMOs are harmful to humans, meaning that mandatory labeling would be both misleading and unnecessary. As big fans of food, we'll be watching this one closely.