Thursday, October 6, 2016

Vermont Drops Enforcement of GMO Labeling

As part of an agreement, Vermont announced that it would not enforce its law requiring the mandatory labeling of GMO foods. Put best by Pamela G. Bailey, president of GMA, the group who fought the law, “.......the Vermont law opens the door to states creating mandatory labeling requirements based on pseudo-science and web-fed hysteria......If this law is allowed to go into effect, it will disrupt food supply chains, confuse consumers and lead to higher food costs.”

Agricultural Law Weekly Review—September 8, 2016
http://www.pennstateaglaw.com/2016/09/agricultural-law-weekly-reviewseptember_8.html
GMO Labeling: GMA and Vermont Agree to Voluntarily Dismiss Litigation
Written by M. Sean High – Staff Attorney

On September 1, 2016, the United States District Court for the District of Vermont signed an order of voluntary dismissal in the state GMO labeling case Grocery Manufacturers Association v. Sorrell (Case No. 5:14-cv-117-cr, Document 161). According to the order, the parties agreed to voluntarily dismiss the action without prejudice because: (1) on July 29, 2016, President Obama signed into law S.764 which established a “National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard;” (2) on August 1, 2016, USDA stated that S.764 preempted states from requiring the labeling of any genetically engineered food or seed in interstate commerce; and (3) on August 2, 2016, Vermont’s Attorney General (Sorrell) announced that the state would no longer enforce Vermont Act 120 which required the labeling of food produced with genetic engineering.

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