Ag Groups Hail New Biotech Disclosure Rule

U.S. agriculture groups are praising the USDA's final bioengineering disclosure standard, arguing the rule strikes the right balance between consumer demand and the needs of farmers and the food industry. "The rule is a victory not only for consumers who want transparency but for the entire food value chain, from the farmer to food manufacturers," said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. "It provides clarity to the marketplace so that consumers can make informed decisions on the issues that matter to them, and protects the innovation that is critical to the sustainability of agriculture." Corn, soybean, and sugar beet grower groups have also weighed in with support for the rule, but several leading food manufacturers worry the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard contains a major loophole that limits the scope of the regulation and confuses consumers. The main issue at the heart of the divide is whether the rule should cover highly refined oils, sugars and other ingredients made from genetically engineered corn, sugar beet, soybeans and other crops. The final rule exempts highly refined ingredients, a move hailed by ag interests who argue the end products contain undetectable levels of bioengineered genetic material and are indistinguishable from their non-engineered counterparts. The rule "recognizes that there are no differences between oils, starches and sugars made from bioengineered or conventional crops," said Richard Gerstenberger, president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. USDA followed the "plain language of the law by requiring disclosure when foods contain genetic material modified via bioengineering, but not when bioengineered genetic material is absent," said John Bode, president and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association. "Appropriately, the regulation does not impose labeling requirements that would mislead consumers." But the exemption greatly narrows the scope of the rule: some 90% of U.S. corn, canola, soybeans and sugar beet are GE and an estimated 70% of processed foods contain oils, sugars or starches made from GE crops. In comments submitted on the draft rule, the Grocery Manufacturers Association estimated the exclusion of highly refined ingredients made from GE crops would result in some 80% fewer products covered by the disclosure standard.