The Department of Agriculture (USDA) may have to wait until later this year to receive funding for the congressionally mandated study on electronic GMO labeling. Politico reports USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said this week the funding would not be in the continuing resolution that was passed by the Senate Wednesday afternoon. The study was mandated as part of the GMO labeling bill passed by Congress this summer. Congress also set a deadline of two years for the study and the GMO labeling rules that USDA must craft. Vilsack said “it’s important for us to figure out a way to get this started” to meet the timeline Congress intended for GMO labeling. The mandatory labeling bill allows for scannable codes on food packaging that directs consumers to label information online through a smartphone.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.