Kevin Roberts: “I understand that the distinguished chairperson of the sometimes powerful Senate Agriculture Committee will be on the…”

“I understand that the distinguished chairperson of the sometimes powerful Senate Agriculture Committee will be on the floor to lock in amendment No. 965 by Senator Sanders. I rise in opposition to that amendment. The amendment would allow States to require--let me emphasize the word, ``require''--that any food, beverage, or other product be labeled if it contains a genetically engineered ingredient. Now, that is how it is described mostly in this debate: a genetically engineered ingredient. I think it would be more accurately called modern science to feed a very troubled and hungry world. We already have policies and procedures, I would tell my colleagues, in place at the Food and Drug Administration to address labeling of foods that are derived from modern biotechnology. The U.S. standards ensure that all labels for all foods are truthful and are not misleading to the public. FDA has a scientifically based review process to evaluate all food products. The Food and Drug Administration states: FDA has no basis for concluding that bioengineered foods are different from other foods in any meaningful or uniform way, or that, as a class, foods developed by the new techniques present any or greater safety concern than foods developed by traditional plant breeding. The FDA reviews products and determines that they are safe. I think we need to trust the science of their review and allow this process to work.…”