Last year, considering bills that mandate labeling on genetically engineered foods or foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Still a hot-topic, many labeling laws are working their way through statehouses all over the nation 鈥� even in farm country.
In the past month or so, governors in and signed GMO labeling bills into law. Other Northeastern states are required to have similar laws on the books, though, for these rules to go into effect.
Here鈥檚 how GMO labeling bills are faring throughout the Midwest:
Missouri
In early January, Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, a state senator from St. Louis, re-introduced a bill that would require labeling on genetically engineered meat or fish grown and sold in Missouri. There鈥檚 currently no such meat or fish for human consumption on the market. Sen. Nasheed made waves last January . But the bill did not make it out of the Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources committee while the state Senate was in session. SB 155, which Nasheed has re-filed as SB 533, could meet a similar fate this year in Missouri鈥檚 Republican-controlled Senate.
Illinois
David Koehler, a state senator from Peoria, introduced last February, which would require any foods sold in Illinois that are 鈥渆ntirely or partially produced with genetic engineering鈥� to be labeled. The bill picked up about a dozen sponsors last year and Koehler told the Peoria Journal Star this week that he planned to continue to work on getting the bill passed in 2014.
"I'm dealing with this strictly as a consumer right-to-know bill," . 鈥淚'm not saying 鈥榊ea鈥� or 鈥楴ay鈥� to the health risks. I'm saying, 鈥楥onsumers have a right to know and they can make up their own mind.鈥�"
The companion bill to SB 1666 in the Illinois state House is , which was introduced by State Rep. Deborah Mell last spring.
Colorado
As , labeling advocates in Colorado are hoping to get an that would require the labeling of genetically engineered foods beginning in January 2016. The group Right to Know Colorado still needs to get the labeling ballot measure proposal approved before it begins collecting 86,000 signatures to land the initiative on the ballot. Last year, state Rep. Jeanne Labuda introduced the GMO labeling bill only to have it die in committee. Now Labuda鈥檚 introduced another bill, , that would create a voluntary GMO labeling program. Although labeling ballot measures were not successful in California in 2012 () or in Washington state in 2013 (), the votes were pretty darn close.
Iowa
State Sen. Joe Bolkcom introduced in February 2013, which would have required labeling for all foods containing more than nine-tenths of 1 percent of genetically engineered ingredients. The bill died in committee during the session, though, and has not yet been re-introduced. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, the Agribusiness Association of Iowa/Iowa Seed Association, the Iowa Biotechnology Association, Monsanto, DuPont, Kraft Foods and the Iowa Grocery Industry Association were among those that .
National
There is also federal legislation that鈥檚 been introduced that would require the FDA to label genetically engineered foods. was introduced in April by Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, and now has 49 co-sponsors. California Sen. Barbara Boxer introduced the companion bill,, which has 15 co-sponsors. Both bills are now in committee. Debate on this legislation may heat up when FDA announces its verdict soon .
