GMO labeling: A tale of two Montana lawmakers

Montana's lone member in the U.S House of Representatives and its senior senator are finding themselves on opposite sides in the debate over whether genetically modified foods should be mandated to carry a label. The Safe and Affordable Food Labeling Act, which passed the House 275-150 last Thursday, would establish a single national standard for determining which products containing GMOs should be required to have a label.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., was among the group supporting the legislation that included 45 Democrats and all but 12 Republicans.

"With more folks than ever looking at labels on their favorite foods, this law makes the important step of creating a national standard for labeling foods and allows customers to shop with confidence," said Zinke.

The bill would pre-empt a mix of state and local laws and make the labeling of GMO products optional for food producers and packers.

Connecticut, Maine and Vermont have state laws that force GMO foods to be labeled, but similar legislation is being considered in state houses around the country. The Montana Legislature has no proposals before it.

The bill also states that only if it is determined there is a "material difference" between a GMO product and its non-GMO counterpart, would the Food and Drug Administration be able to suggest an item be labeled.

Conversely any non-GMO product would have to meet certain standards over the course of its production and could not suggest that non-GMO foods are safer than GMO foods.

Montana's farming community remains divided on the bill. Some have lauded Zinke for his support of the legislation, saying it strikes the proper balance between informing customers and wrongly stigmatizing GMO food products.

"The establishment of these national standards will allow farmers to continue using technology that works well on their farms, benefits the environment and enables them to produce safe, affordable and nutritious food, all while giving consumers the accurate information they desire when making their food choices," said Nicole Rolf, director of national affairs for the Montana Farm Bureau Federation.

Others say the deal favors bioengineering giants while depriving consumers of the necessary information to make an informed judgment.

House critics and advocates of mandatory labeling have dubbed the bill the Deny Americans the Right to Know, or DARK, Act.

One of the harshest critics of it - and a supporter of mandatory labeling - is Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.

"If GMO producers were proud of their product, they'd be labeling it already, and the House's bill ensures they never have to," said Tester, himself an organic farmer from Big Sandy.

During the last session of Congress, Tester proposed the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act, which would mandate that all foods containing GMO ingredients be labeled.

The Safe and Affordable Food Labeling Act next advances to the Senate where Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., is expected to author that chamber's version of the bill. An aide for Hoeven said the bill is still being worked on, and language won't be released until the Senate returns from its August recess.

A spokesperson for Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said he would wait until the Senate's version of the bill was unveiled before taking a position.