Broad-Based Coalition Launched to Advocate for Congressional Action on a Federal GMO Labeling Solution

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American farmers and representatives from a diverse group of almost thirty industry and non-governmental organizations today announced the formation of the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food (www.CFSAF.org) and urged Congress to quickly seek a federal solution that would establish standards for the safety and labeling of food and beverage products made with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).

"American families deserve safe, abundant and affordable food," said Martin Barbre, President of the National Corn Growers.  "And America's farmers rely on this proven technology to protect crops from insects, weeds and drought, enabling us to deliver on that promise and to do so through sustainable means.  A federal solution on GMO labeling will bolster consumer confidence in the safety of American food by reaffirming the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) role as the nation's foremost authority on the use and labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients."

A federal GMO labeling solution is needed that will protect consumers and ensure the safety of food ingredients made through the use of modern agricultural biotechnology:

• Eliminate Confusion: Remove the confusion and uncertainty of a 50 state patchwork of GMO safety and labeling laws and affirm the FDA as the nation's authority for the use and labeling of genetically modified food ingredients.
  
  
• Advance Food Safety: Require the FDA to conduct a safety review of all new GMO traits before they are introduced into commerce. FDA will be empowered to mandate the labeling of GMO food ingredients if the agency determines there is a health, safety or nutrition issue with an ingredient derived from a GMO.
  
  
• Inform Consumers: The FDA will establish federal standards for companies that want to voluntarily label their product for the absence-of or presence-of GMO food ingredients so that consumers clearly understand their choices in the marketplace.
  
  
• Provide Consistency: The FDA will define the term "natural" for its use on food and beverage products so that food and beverage companies and consumers have a consistent legal framework that will guide food labels and inform consumer choice.

"Foods made with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs) are safe and have a number of important benefits for people and our planet," said Pamela G. Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association.  "Our nation's food safety and labeling laws should not be set by political campaigns or state and local legislatures, but by the FDA, the nation's foremost food safety agency.

"GMO technology has fostered a revolution in American agriculture that has benefitted consumers in the United States and around the world.  And with global population expected to grow from seven to nine billion by 2050, we will need 70% more food production to keep pace.  A federal GMO labeling solution will provide a framework for the safe and continued use of technology that is essential to the future of our planet."

Facts About GMOs (www.FactsAboutGMOs.org )

• Many of the most influential regulatory agencies and organizations that study the safety of the food supply, including the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, Health Canada, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Academy of Sciences, have found genetically modified food ingredients (GMOs) are safe and there are no negative health effects associated with their use.
  
  
• GM technology adds desirable traits from nature, without introducing anything unnatural or using chemicals, so that food is more plentiful.
  
  
• GM technology is not new. In fact, it has been around for the past 20 years, and today, 70-80% of the foods we eat in the United States, both at home and away from home, contain ingredients that have been genetically modified.
  
  
• Ingredients grown using GM technology require fewer pesticides, less water and keep production costs down. In fact, GM technology helps reduce the price of crops used for food, such as corn, soybeans and sugar beets by as much as 15-30%.
  
  
• One in eight people among the world's growing population of seven billion do not have enough to eat, and safe and effective methods of food production, like crops produced through GM technology, can help us feed the hungry and malnourished in developing nations around the world.

The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food is dedicated to providing policy makers, media, consumers and all stakeholders with the facts about ingredients grown through GM technology.  We are also an advocate for common sense policy solutions that will only further enhance the safety of the GM crops and protect the vital role they play in today's modern global food supply chain.  The coalition is comprised of American farmers and representatives from a diverse group of industry and non-governmental organizations.

Coalition Members

1.     AACC International/ American Phytopathological Society
2.     American Bakers Association
3.     American Beverage Association
4.     American Farm Bureau Federation
5.     American Feed Industry Association
6.     American Frozen Food Institute
7.     American Seed Trade Association
8.     American Soybean Association
9.     American Sugarbeet Growers Association
10.  Biotechnology Industry Organization
11.  Corn Refiners Association
12.  Council for Responsible Nutrition
13.  Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association
14.  Global Cold Chain Alliance
15.  Grocery Manufacturers Association
16.  International Dairy Foods Association
17.  National Association of Manufacturers
18.  National Association of Wheat Growers
19.  National Confectioners Association
20.  National Corn Growers Association
21.  National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
22.  National Fisheries Institute
23.  National Grain & Feed Association
24.  National Oilseed Processors Association
25.  National Restaurant Association
26.  National Turkey Federation
27.  North American Millers Association
28.  Snack Food Association
29.  U.S. Beet Sugar Association

SOURCE Coalition for Safe Affordable Food