U.S. Senate votes against voluntary GMO labeling bill

Members of the U.S. Senate voted against a voluntary GMO labeling bill by a small margin last week.

The bill failed to move forward in the Senate with a 49-48 vote, according to the Associated Press. It needed 60 votes to move forward. The bill would have wiped out state laws that require products to be labeled to make one national standard.

Those opposed to the bill include Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who was one of six to vote against the bill in the Senate Agriculture Committee.

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“The bill before the Senate doesn’t strike the right balance for Colorado producers, food and beverage makers, distributors, retailers and consumers,” Bennet said in a news release. “We need a bipartisan solution that respects consumers’ right to know what’s in their food while ensuring a GMO labeling standard is fairly applied across the country.”

Those opposed to the bill argued people have a right to know whether their was produced with GMOs, while those in favor said the national standard would prevent producers and manufacturers from needing to change how their food is labeled on a state-by-state basis.

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-Staff reports