An Idaho lawmaker and farmer said the state should press the federal government to establish a national labeling system for genetically engineered foods -- before states create their own.
Idaho hasn’t had a food labeling initiative like the ones in California, Washington and Oregon, but Republican Rep. Steven Miller, an organic hay farmer from Fairfield, said the attempts in neighboring states are a sign of consumer demand.
“And Oregon very nearly got their initiative approved,” Miller said. “And if we do this piecemeal through the states or even regionally through the states then for people who package and market interstate products, it really becomes a challenge.”
Miller is sponsoring a resolution calling for a voluntary, uniform labeling program through the FDA. He said making it voluntary is a market-based approach. The resolution asks Idaho’s Congressional delegation to take up the issue.