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Battle Breaks Out Over GMO Labeling

Taylor Hillman Industry News Release

The USDA comment period on its proposed GMO labeling rule brought in more than 11,000 comments from farm groups, consumers, and multinational companies like Hershey’s. Politico says food manufacturers are at odds with farmers over which ingredients should actually be subject to disclosure. The companies are arguing that foods made with even some genetically modified corn, soybeans, and sugar beets …

soybeans

Mexico Bans Select GMO Soybean Plantings in Seven States

Dan Industry News Release, Soybeans

Mexico’s agriculture sanitation authority has revoked Monsanto’s permit to commercialize genetically modified soybeans in seven states, a move Monsanto calls unjustified. Monsanto says in a statement that the permit had been withdrawn on unwarranted legal and technical grounds, according to Reuters. The company said it would take the necessary steps to safeguard its rights and those of farmers using the …

genetically engineered

European Court Rules Against GMO Ban

Dan Genetically Modified, Industry News Release

The European Court of Justice ruled that member state governments cannot ban the cultivation of genetically engineered crops in the absence of scientific evidence that they are a human health risk. American Soybean Association President Ron Moore said the ruling is a comforting one from a scientific standpoint. “The Court’s decision reverses what the EU calls the ‘precautionary principle,’ their …

gmo

Campbell Leaving GMA Over GMO Labeling, Labeling Bill Comment Period Extended

Dan Genetically Modified, Industry News Release

Campbell Soup Company will leave the Grocery Manufacturers Association by the end of the year over a dispute on labeling of genetically modified ingredients, according to Politico. GMA is opposed to GMO labeling, while Campbell has long been vocal about increasing transparency of its ingredients. Campbell Chief Executive Denise Morrison told investors the move was not for financial reasons but …

mckalip

China Approves More GMO Crops

Dan Industry News Release

China’s Ministry of Agriculture announced it has approved two more genetically modified crops for import into the country. A Reuters article says it’s the second move in the past month to expand access to biotech seeds as a part of Beijing’s 100-day trade talks with Washington. The Ministry approved Syngenta’s 5307 insecticide-resistant corn sold under the Agrisure Duricade brand. It …

genetically engineered

USDA Seeking Public Input on GMO Labeling

Dan Genetically Modified, Industry News Release

The Department of Agriculture is seeking public input on GMO labeling. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service posted 30 questions for the public this week regarding labeling food items containing genetically modified ingredients. The feedback, according to Politico, will help the agency develop a proposed rule governing how food manufacturers disclose when products contain genetically engineered ingredients. Questions include: What terms …

mckalip

China Trade Agreement Includes Biotech Approvals

Dan Corn, Industry News Release, Trade

The trade agreement between the U.S. and China that focused on U.S. beef also paved the way for Chinese approval of two U.S. genetically modified crop traits. The Wall Street Journal reports China has approved imports of two new varieties of genetically modified crops, clearing the way for U.S. agricultural companies to market new biotech seeds to farmers. Through the …

gmo

USDA to Speed Through GMO Labeling Rule

Dan Genetically Modified, Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to finalize GMO disclosure standards within a nine-month time frame, what Politico calls a breakneck pace for any rulemaking. USDA in that timeframe will go from proposing the regulation to finalizing the rules. That includes a likely three-month comment period, revisions, and White House approval, a process that also takes about three months. A …

genetically engineered

Canada Defeats GMO Labeling Bill

Dan Genetically Modified, Industry News Release

Members of Canada’s Parliament defeated a GMO labeling bill last week. The bill was handed a landslide defeat, with 67 members voting yes, and 216 voting no. The bill would have mandated GMO labeling in Canada. Online food industry publication FoodNavigator-USA reports the bill specified that Canada’s Food and Drugs Act be amended to say “No person shall sell any …