The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held hearings last month exploring FDA’s role in regulating genetically modified food ingredients. The subcommittee heard from FDA officials, outside experts and interested stakeholders. The panel also gave its approval to the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, a bill to establish a national labeling standard for genetically modified food ingredients.

“We commend the committee for holding this critically important hearing,” says Pamela Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “The proceedings further illustrate the need to ensure scientific experts, not political campaigns, are responsible for developing our nation’s food labeling policies.”

 Bailey also supports the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, saying it would “eliminate consumer uncertainty created by a state-by-state patchwork of labeling laws, advance food safety, inform consumers and provide consistency in labeling.”