05-August-2015

On July 23, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt new labeling standards and regulatory protocol for genetically modified and non-genetically modified products. As described in Inside Health Policy, the bill would require all new genetically modified plants to be submitted for premarket review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill also mandates that the FDA formally define the term "natural" as it applies to food labeling—a stipulation that Brad McKinney, a health and biosciences advisor with FaegreBD consulting, said could bring clarity to a subject that has been debated since 1993.

"'Natural' is what I consider to be the wild, wild west of food labeling," McKinney said. "As the bill has evolved, it has included a mandate for FDA to come up with a definition of 'natural.' Now it's back in there and a lot of people are pleased about that."

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