U.S. Senate Approves National GMO Labeling Standard

On Thursday night, the U.S. Senate approved legislation that would require the labeling of foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It will now head to the House of Representatives.

Good news for many Americans, right? It depends on whom you ask. As The Wall Street Journal reported, if the federal bill passes, it would give companies different choices in how they disclose the existence of GMOs on packaging. For example, food producers can include text identifying GMO ingredients. The other option involves a scannable QR code accompanied by a symbol, created by the USDA, that would provide consumers with information about a product online.

Print+Promo’s Quick Take: Opponents of the bill argue that QR codes could exclude an entire group of consumers who don’t own smartphones or, simply wouldn’t be interested in taking the extra step to access the information. Even if grocery stores made it easier for consumers by providing scanners to use, it might not make a difference. After all, our eyes have been trained to rely on visual labels.

What do you think? Is it an unnecessary hurdle?