Consumer Federation of America submitted the following comments on the Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule to label genetically engineered or “GMO” foods. The rule implements the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (Pub. L. 114-216), which Congress passed to preempt Vermont’s GMO labeling law. Upwards of nine out of ten Americans want the right to know whether the food they buy contains GMO ingredients, and CFA’s comments urge USDA to act expeditiously so that consumers no longer remain in the dark. The comments are highly critical, however, of the agency’s proposals to exempt large numbers of foods from the requirements, employ new terminology and symbols for disclosures, and allow companies to use QR codes in lieu of direct disclosures, without adequate safeguards for consumers that do not own a smartphone or have reliable internet access. The proposal would also put off the compliance date for many companies until 2022.
