May 3, 2018
ARLINGTON, VA – Food Marketing Institute (FMI) welcomes the publication of the proposed rule that will help bring to customers a consistent way to disclose information regarding bioengineered food products. FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin offered the following statement regarding this step in the rulemaking process:
“FMI supported passage of legislation to bring a clear and consistent national standard to provide customers with information regarding bioengineered food products. Since Congress forged the bipartisan compromise in 2016, we have been working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under both the Obama and Trump Administrations to help move this process forward in a way that provides consistency and clarity to customers across our membership of 33,000 retail food stores.
“We also aligned with the entire value chain to ensure farmers, manufacturers and retailers are working together to provide accurate, simple and unbiased information to our customers. We remain focused on consumer education, which will help our customers have the tools they need while they shop.
“Food retailers and their supplier partners are committed to consumer education through digital technologies like SmartLabel®. SmartLabel allows customers to access detailed information about products 24/7. Companies are projecting that 30,000 total products will use SmartLabel by June of 2018, including food, beverage, personal care, household and pet care products. Customers can find detailed product information, including GE disclosure, in several ways, including by scanning a QR code on the package; using a web search; accessing a participating company’s web site; calling a 1-800 number displayed on the package; and accessing the SmartLabel app.”
“FMI and the Grocery Manufacturers Association will promote a consumer education campaign beginning in June 2018 to help guide consumers to the information they seek – a program that creates a mechanism to share information that goes well beyond that included on the label and well beyond whether the product contains ingredients that result from genetic engineering."
“FMI supported passage of legislation to bring a clear and consistent national standard to provide customers with information regarding bioengineered food products. Since Congress forged the bipartisan compromise in 2016, we have been working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under both the Obama and Trump Administrations to help move this process forward in a way that provides consistency and clarity to customers across our membership of 33,000 retail food stores.
“We also aligned with the entire value chain to ensure farmers, manufacturers and retailers are working together to provide accurate, simple and unbiased information to our customers. We remain focused on consumer education, which will help our customers have the tools they need while they shop.
“Food retailers and their supplier partners are committed to consumer education through digital technologies like SmartLabel®. SmartLabel allows customers to access detailed information about products 24/7. Companies are projecting that 30,000 total products will use SmartLabel by June of 2018, including food, beverage, personal care, household and pet care products. Customers can find detailed product information, including GE disclosure, in several ways, including by scanning a QR code on the package; using a web search; accessing a participating company’s web site; calling a 1-800 number displayed on the package; and accessing the SmartLabel app.”“FMI and the Grocery Manufacturers Association will promote a consumer education campaign beginning in June 2018 to help guide consumers to the information they seek – a program that creates a mechanism to share information that goes well beyond that included on the label and well beyond whether the product contains ingredients that result from genetic engineering."
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