AreaUnited States of America

Commodity GroupOilseeds, oils and meals

CommodityGM crops

Date18/05/2018

Policy CategoryOther

Policy InstrumentGMO policy

DescriptionCalled for public comments on a legislative framework for the labelling of GMOs, notably on detailed standards for the disclosure of food ingredients, with a view to assisting consumers in making informed choices.

NotesIn the United States, discussions about product coverage under a GMO labelling legislation passed in 2016 go on (see MPPU Aug.’16 & Oct.’17). Responding to a USDA call for public comments, food industry representatives reiterated that all ingredients that have undergone genetic modification should be subject to labelling, whereas farmers maintain that labels should exclude food ingredients refined and processed to the point that they no longer contain transformed genes. Food manufacturers argued that comprehensive labelling is important for both consistency and for meeting consumer expectations on transparency, adding that excluding refined ingredients would result in 78 percent fewer products being disclosed on labels. Industry players also see a need for further clarifications in the following areas: i) content thresholds triggering labelling; ii) mutual recognition arrangements for imported foods; iii) the treatment of organisms obtained through gene-editing techniques; and iv) exemptions applying to very small food manufacturers as well as to incidental additives, food from animals fed with GM feed, food served in restaurants and organic food.