Food industry leaders are stepping up efforts to head off any attempt by Congress to pass mandatory GMO (genetically modified organisms) labeling laws. In July, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee, announced support for a bill requiring all food products containing GMO to be labeled as such. The Grocery Manufacturers Association quickly voiced opposition, saying it would make food products more expensive for consumers. Others in the industry saw a larger agenda.

“Mandatory labeling efforts mislead consumers about GMOs, which are perfectly safe, and represent a thinly veiled effort to remove modern biotechnology from American agriculture,” says Claire Parker, spokeswoman for the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food.

Parker says GMOs are among the most important tools available to farmers and food producers to provide safe and affordable food products.