July 23, 2015 - Arlington, VA – The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin, and the National Grocers Association (NGA) President and CEO Peter J. Larkin, released the following statements today applauding the U.S. House of Representatives on the passage of H.R. 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, sponsored by U.S. Representatives Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC).
Sarasin stated, “Having a clearly defined national labeling standard to identify the GMO content of food products is essential if we hope to avoid adding to consumer confusion about GMOs and if we wish to elude unnecessary impediments to interstate commerce, both of which would result from a state-by-state patchwork of muddled, differing and conflicting GMO labeling laws. House passage of H.R. 1599 is a critical first step in the right direction.”
Larkin commented: “On behalf of the independent supermarket industry, we applaud the House for passing this important legislation that creates a uniform federal standard for the labeling of non-genetically engineered products, and more importantly, ensures that the consumers our members serve on a daily basis have clear and consistent information on the food products that they purchase and consume nationwide. We look forward to working with members of the Senate to pass this legislation.”
FMI and NGA sent this letter in support of H.R. 1599 to Members of the House prior to today’s vote. H.R. 1599 was passed on a bipartisan basis by a vote of 275-150.
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About FMI: Food Marketing Institute proudly advocates on behalf of the food retail industry. FMI’s U.S. members operate nearly 40,000 retail food stores and 25,000 pharmacies, representing a combined annual sales volume of almost $770 billion. Through programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education and industry relations, FMI offers resources and provides valuable benefits to more than 1,225 food retail and wholesale member companies in the United States and around the world. FMI membership covers the spectrum of diverse venues where food is sold, including single owner grocery stores, large multi-store supermarket chains and mixed retail stores. For more information, visit www.fmi.org and for information regarding the FMI foundation, visit www.fmifoundation.org.
About NGA: The National Grocers Association (NGA) is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for close to one percent of the nation's overall economy and is responsible for generating $131 billion in sales, 944,000 jobs, $30 billion in wages, and $27 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers, state grocers associations, as well as manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
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