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According to the FDA, this bill contains gaping loopholes for many of the most widely
used GMO foods and ingredients like soybean oil, sugar from GMO sugar beets, and
high-fructose corn syrup.
This bill is also inherently flawed because it allows manufacturers to use a digital QR
code, which is confusing to consumers, and can only be accessed with a smart phone and
an internet connection.
The bill allows the USDA to choose what percentage of GMOs are present in a product
before it must be labeled, putting it at odds with the European Union and the Vermont
standards, which are both 0.9%.
Consumers will be left in the dark for at least another two years. Once the USDA has
published its regulations, there is no mandatory timeline for the companies to comply. In
addition, there are no federal penalties for not complying with the law.
Ultimately, this compromise is no compromise at all if the federal government will simply
override states laws on GMO labeling without a meaningful federal standard to replace them.
I urge you to oppose the current Roberts-Stabenow language, and instead support my
comprehensive national labeling amendment, which would provide what nearly 9 out of 10
consumers want. Sanders Amendment No. 4948 would make Vermonts GMO labeling law the
federal law.
I look forward to working together to create a meaningful federal standard through an open
debate and amendment process.
Sincerely,