Christopher Doering

cdoering@gannett.com

WASHINGTON — Senate lawmakers struggling to reach a deal on how to label food containing genetically modified ingredients said Thursday they are making progress, but acknowledged time is running out before Vermont's first-in-the-nation labeling law takes effect next month.

Congress has only six working days before July 1, when Vermont begins requiring that all foods containing genetically modified products be labeled. Any bill approved by the Senate would have to clear the House, which is in recess the last week of June.

“We are still negotiating, and I think we’re getting much closer,” Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., told reporters. “We have to act. We can’t allow this to happen on the first of July with the Vermont labeling law.”

Roberts said there are still “several areas of disagreement” but he declined to say what they were. Asked if he expected a deal before July, he responded: “I sure as hell hope so.”

Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said senators are “narrowing the issues and making good progress.”

Up to 80 percent of packaged foods contain ingredients that have been genetically modified, according to the food industry. Biotech crops are popular in agricultural states such as Iowa, where more than 90 percent of corn and soybeans come from the seeds.

Companies begin embracing GMO labeling

Even though Vermont’s law will require companies to begin labeling food containing GMOs starting July 1, companies will have until the beginning of next year to fully comply. At that time, they would be fined $1,000 for each day a product isn't properly labeled.

As the Vermont deadline has approached, several food companies, including candy-maker Mars, General Mills, Kellogg, ConAgra and Campbell Soup, have announced their own GMO labels.

"They are using July 1 to try to force congressional action," said Scott Faber, a vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group. "It's not hard to imagine a simple disclosure that does not stigmatize this technology, but that allows consumers to make their own decisions."

In recent weeks, the debate in Washington has centered on a push by the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food and other groups that favor QR codes, websites or 1-800 numbers that consumers can use to find out more information. Proponents of mandatory labeling, including the Environmental Working Group, say these practices wouldn't be effective. They instead favor wording right on the product.

Study finds genetically engineered foods are safe

Food and agricultural groups warned Thursday of “chaos” in the marketplace and said a failure to finish and pass legislation could have costly and long-lasting challenges for farmers, food manufacturers and consumers.

“We believe the discussions (between Roberts and Stabenow) have moved to a point that has been described as 'within inches,' ” Chuck Conner, president and chief executive office of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, said in a conference call. “We need a win here. We need them to finish.”

Farm groups expressed concern that without a deal, more companies could decide to reformulate their products to avoid the Vermont law. The result would be lower demand for U.S. GMO crops, further hurting farmers already dealing with sluggish commodity prices.

“The lack of Senate action … will have serious negative consequences for our nation’s farmers,” said Steve Censky, chief executive of the American Soybean Association. “Markets for the crops that our farmers are growing today will be lost, and value of farmers’ crops will be diminished.”

Contact Christopher Doering at cdoering@usatoday.com or reach him at Twitter: @cdoering