Anti-GMO labeling rider excluded from Omnibus

Anti-GMO labeling rider excluded from Omnibus

WASHINGTON D.C. – Friends of the Earth praised congressional leaders today for rejecting efforts of the food and chemical industries to attach a rider to the omnibus spending bill that would block labeling of genetically engineered food. The omnibus bill also will block the sale of GMO salmon, recently approved by FDA via a flawed process using company data, until a mandatory labeling standard is agreed upon by the FDA. According to recent polls roughly 9 out of 10 Americans want mandatory labeling of GMOs.

Senators Stabenow, Merkley, Tester, Boxer, Feinstein, Leahy, Sanders, Murphy, Blumenthal, Warren, Markey, Heinrich, Reed, Booker, Shaheen, Mikulski and Reps. DeFazio, Welch, DeLauro, Pingree, McGovern, Blumenauer, Young, Huffman, Polis, Pelosi, Farr and Lowey led efforts to keep the legislation out of the must-pass annual omnibus spending bill.

Lisa Archer, food and technology program director at Friends of the Earth made the following statement:

We thank Congressional leaders for wisely rejecting Big Food’s sneak attack on GMO labeling via a rider on this must-pass spending bill. The vast majority of people want GMO labeling and Friends of the Earth and our allies will continue to fight for our basic right to know what we are feeding our families — a right that 64 countries already guarantee. We are also pleased that sale of genetically engineered salmon, which is already being rejected by consumers and more than 60 retailers, from will be blocked by the omnibus.

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Expert contact: Dana Perls, (510) 978-4425, [email protected]
Communications contact: Kate Colwell, (202) 222-0744, [email protected]

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