Tester: Montanans Have a Right to Know What’s in Their Food

Senator Demands Transparency in GMO Labeling

(U.S. Senate) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester is defending Montanans’ right to know what’s in their food, and he’s holding the U.S. Department of Agriculture accountable for clearly labeling genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Tester is demanding more transparency from the Department as it sets a national standard for labeling food products that contain GMOs. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Tester is pushing for GMO labels that work for all consumers in rural communities.

“Folks in Montana and across this country have a right to know what is in the food they feed their families,” Tester said. “Montanans have made their voices heard, and I will hold the government’s feet to the fire to ensure that the standard they set works for everyone-especially consumers in rural communities.”

In lieu of an easy-to-read label, the Department of Agriculture may allow companies that produce food that contains GMOs to label their product with a digital bar code. Consumers would then be required to use a smartphone to scan the bar code to identify the GMO ingredients.

Tester remains concerned that using a smartphone bar code will present technical and practical challenges, especially in rural America.

Congress passed legislation in 2016 that requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a standard for labeling food products that contain GMOs by July of 2018.

Tester’s letter to Perdue is available HERE.