Dive Brief:

With only a week to go before Vermont's mandatory GMO labeling law goes into effect, the Senate Agriculture Committee introduced a bipartisan bill that, if passed, would pre-empt Vermont's law. The latest iteration of a national GMO labeling standard is mandatory, but manufacturers have options. The Grocery Manufacturers Association said it supports the deal.

Agri-Pulse, which obtained a copy of the bill, reported that most manufacturers would have the option of using a digital code consumers can scan with smartphones that is accompanied by the language, " Scan here for more food information." Or, manufacturers could use an on-package symbol or other text approved by the USDA.

Scan here for more food information." Or, manufacturers could use an on-package symbol or other text approved by the USDA. The bill also establishes a narrow definition of what genetic modification entails. "Bioengineering" would be restricted to products developed through recombinant DNA techniques, or the transference of a gene between organisms. It would exempt newer biotech techniques, such as RNA interference and gene editing, including CRISPR technology

Dive Insight:

The saga continues after months of debates on how to get a national GMO labeling standard passed before July 1. The Senate's last GMO labeling effort failed in March when a 49-48 vote didn't yield the 60 votes necessary for passage.

Legislators backing the new bill say it is a compromise between consumer demands and the belief that GMOs are safe to consume, as maintained by the FDA, many food and beverage manufacturers, and a recent report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

"I fought to ensure this standard recognizes the 30-plus years of proven safety of biotechnology while ensuring consumer access to more information about their food," Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) said in a statement.

The success of the bill hinges on whether consumers and their representatives will deem manufacturers' adoption of GMA's SmartLabel or a similar QR code technology as an acceptable labeling option over an on-package statement.

The previous bill that failed in March would have instituted a conditional voluntary labeling policy. After two years, 70% of manufacturers' products will have needed to adopt SmartLabel on their packaging or nationwide mandatory labeling legislation would take effect. If SmartLabel versus an on-package statement was the root of the last bill's issue, this latest iteration could be doomed to the same fate.

Or, with the pressure now more intense than ever, SmartLabel as a GMO labeling solution may garner enough votes from all sides to finally get a national standard passed. However, even if this bill does make it through the Senate before July 1, it won't become law before the Vermont deadline: the House is on break until July 5.

Exemptions from this legislation include foods where meat, poultry, or egg products are the main ingredient. Also, products derived from animals can no longer be considered bioengineered solely because the animal may have eaten feed that contained genetically-modified ingredients.