House Republican pushes Obama to veto GMO labeling law

A House Republican is calling on President Obama to veto a bipartisan agreement to label foods made with genetically modified ingredients.

In a letter to Obama on Thursday, Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) called the legislation a “sham bill that pretends to offer disclosure but in truth has so many loopholes that it is meaningless.”

The legislation headed to the president’s desk directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a national labeling standard in two years that allows producers to use text, symbols, a telephone number or QR code that consumers can scan with a smartphone to meet the labeling requirement.

Buchanan was one of 36 Republicans in the House who voted against the bill, along with 81 Democrats.

“Food labeling needs to be simple and clear,” he said. “QR codes and telephone numbers do not meet that definition. What mother shopping with her children is going to stop in the middle of the food aisle to call a company or go on a website to check the content of every product they would like to buy?”

Supporters of the bill, which passed both the House and Senate before lawmakers left for summer recess, claim it supports scientific research that has shown GMOs are safe.