[A federal] court’s ruling tees up a major rewrite of the U.S.’ bioengineered labeling rule, which for the first time mandated companies to disclose when they used genetically modified ingredients. It’s also a significant win for consumer advocacy groups and the grassroots “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which has lobbied vigorously against pesticide use in foods.
Around 70% of all GMO food ingredients were exempted from disclosure requirements under the current rule, [Center for Food Safety] said, vastly undercutting the impact of the label.
The original rule, which went into effect in 2021, also allowed companies to disclose GMO ingredients through a digital QR code instead of on-packaging text or symbols. CFS said this format was inaccessible to many consumers. While some companies have voluntarily used the USDA’s bioengineered label on packaging, “that’s the minority,” George Kimbrell, legal director for [Center for Food Safety] and counsel in the case, said in an interview with Food Dive.
