Summaries for the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015

[Norm dePlume]

Summaries for the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015

GovTrack’s Bill Summary

The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the distribution and labeling related to bioengineered foods (often referred to as genetically modified foods or GMOs).

It would require food producers to notify FDA of any bioengineered foods intended to be sold interstate and would disallow the sale any bioengineered foods not deemed safe by FDA. Although the bill would prevent FDA from requiring the labeling of bioengineered foods only on the grounds that the foods are bioengineered, FDA could require that alterations of nutritional properties, allergens, or other characteristics of food be listed on food labeling. Regulations would also prohibit the labeling of food as not bioengineered if it had been planted with bioengineered seeds. Dairy products from animals fed bioengineered foods and foods developed using bioengineered processing aids or enzymes could still be labelled as non-bioengineered. The bill would also prevent states from issuing their own food labeling requirements for bioengineered foods.

Okay... All right... Sounds good... Fine, fine... Fair enough... Wait, what was that last bit? What happened to "state's rights"? I guess Monsanto got tired of fighting state-by-state battles.

[scott]

Okay... All right... Sounds good... Fine, fine... Fair enough... Wait, what was that last bit? What happened to "state's rights"? I guess Monsanto got tired of fighting state-by-state battles.

racist

[Norm dePlume]

Improperly placement of apostrophe (should've been states' rights), but I don't get how it's racist.

[Adam]

Improperly placement of apostrophe (should've been states' rights), but I don't get how it's racist.

We've been told repeatedly that any argument for states' rights is inherently racist, because Jim Crow, or something.

[Norm dePlume]

Well okay, then.

[Adam]

Personally, I'm going to enjoy some corn and rice tonight just because of this.

FDA could require that alterations of nutritional properties, allergens, or other characteristics of food be listed on food labeling.

Apparently, this has already started.

Last week, I went out to dinner with my brothers and my father, the usual "boys' night out" on those rare occasions when we are all in the same MSA at the same time. On the desert menu, and I'm not kidding:

Macadamia nut macaroons*

Sweet macaroons with macadamia nuts, pecans, and peanuts with a delicious black cherry glace.












*may contain nuts

They should re-name this "The Fantastically Stupid Signage Act of 2015."

[Billy Jingo]

Okay... All right... Sounds good... Fine, fine... Fair enough... Wait, what was that last bit? What happened to "state's rights"? I guess Monsanto got tired of fighting state-by-state battles.

It's like Texas and fracking. It's easier to purchase a state government than several municipalities.

I guess the United States is cheaper than the United States are.

[Norm dePlume]

It's like Texas and fracking. It's easier to purchase a state government than several municipalities.

I guess the United States is cheaper than the United States are.

It might also be due to the fact that they've lost a couple of those state battles.

Maine becomes second state to require GMO labels

I think the smart move for Monsanto would be to go along with labeling. When people see how widespread it is, they'll just start ignoring the labels. Fighting it just makes Monsanto look like they're trying to hide something.

[scott]

It might also be due to the fact that they've lost a couple of those state battles.

Maine becomes second state to require GMO labels

I think the smart move for Monsanto would be to go along with labeling. When people see how widespread it is, they'll just start ignoring the labels. Fighting it just makes Monsanto look like they're trying to hide something.

I agree. There has to be a reason they are being irrational, but it might just be a whole lot of inside baseball stuff going on.

[Billy Jingo]

It might also be due to the fact that they've lost a couple of those state battles.

Maine becomes second state to require GMO labels

I think the smart move for Monsanto would be to go along with labeling. When people see how widespread it is, they'll just start ignoring the labels. Fighting it just makes Monsanto look like they're trying to hide something.

Anti GMO is as big a thing as global warming denial. And just as impervious to reason and science. I can understand why they want to avoid the issue if they are able. It is a political thing and while cake baking and chicken sandwiches on the small scale can prosper in tribalism, Monsanto is much to big for that.

[Norm dePlume]

Anti GMO is as big a thing as global warming denial. And just as impervious to reason and science. I can understand why they want to avoid the issue if they are able. It is a political thing and while cake baking and chicken sandwiches on the small scale can prosper in tribalism, Monsanto is much to big for that.

The Greenpeace crowd will never be convinced. But they (the ag industry heavy hitters) were able to defeat labeling initiatives in California, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. So, I think there's a large undecided middle. And it seems to me the best way to convince the undecided middle that agribusiness is covering stuff up is to keep fighting against labeling. It's like if the corn growers fought to keep "high fructose corn syrup" off the ingredient labels of soda, people might get suspicious and wonder why they're covering that up. But put it on the label, and people shrug it off like it's nothing. Well, the large middle people shrug it off.

[Billy Jingo]

The Greenpeace crowd will never be convinced. But they (the ag industry heavy hitters) were able to defeat labeling initiatives in California, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. So, I think there's a large undecided middle. And it seems to me the best way to convince the undecided middle that agribusiness is covering stuff up is to keep fighting against labeling. It's like if the corn growers fought to keep "high fructose corn syrup" off the ingredient labels of soda, people might get suspicious and wonder why they're covering that up. But put it on the label, and people shrug it off like it's nothing. Well, the large middle people shrug it off.

I think there is too great a risk. I would try to thwart any attempt to label GMO food if I were them. Maybe you are right and no one would give a shit but apples says people can be irrational. Being from the Pacific Northwest you should be very sensitive to that.

[Norm dePlume]

GMO-free cereal? Middle America shrugs

[JB]

More GMO please. And more MSG. And more Trans Fat.

I want chickens the size of turkeys and turkeys the size of cows and cows the size of elephants.

[Lanie]

Okay... All right... Sounds good... Fine, fine... Fair enough... Wait, what was that last bit? What happened to "state's rights"? I guess Monsanto got tired of fighting state-by-state battles.

The heck with state's rights. I want to know what I'm eating.