Food industry companies and associations announced the launch of the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, a group made up of representatives from manufacturing, agriculture and non-governmental organizations. The group is urging Congress to establish federal standards for safety and labeling of food and beverages containing genetically modified organisms.

The Coalition says the establishment of federal standards would eliminate the possibility of conflicting state-by-state rules for GMOs, advance food safety and inform consumers.

“Foods made with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs) are safe and have a number of important benefits for people and our planet,” says Pamela G. Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “Our nation’s food safety and labeling laws should not be set by political campaigns or state and local legislatures, but by the FDA, the nation’s foremost food safety agency.

“GMO technology has fostered a revolution in American agriculture that has benefitted consumers in the United States and around the world. And with global population expected to grow from seven to nine billion by 2050, we will need 70% more food production to keep pace. A federal GMO labeling solution will provide a framework for the safe and continued use of technology that is essential to the future of our planet.”