H.R. 1599 Supported by more than 400 organizations nationally with wide bi-partisan support.
(Alexandria, Virginia) — The non-partisan 60 Plus Association, America’s largest free-market seniors advocacy organization, with over 7.2 million supporters, today offered their strongest endorsement to H.R. 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, legislation which seeks to ensure accurate and uniform standards in national food labeling.
Unless this bill becomes law, states and even cities could create a mish-mash of different labeling laws and standards, each with their own exemptions and caveats. This would create confusion for consumers and legal challenges for farmers and the food industry. Last April, more than 400 organizations from 50 states sent a letter to each member of the U.S. House of Representatives voicing their support for H.R. 1599 based upon a shared commitment to reliable, science-based labeling standards for food containing ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Said 60 Plus Vice-President Matthew Kandrach, “When it comes to understanding the content and nutrition of the food we place on our dinner tables every night, seniors need information that is detailed and credible, not claims that have the reliability of a late night infomercial advertisement. Sadly, the information seniors are given about their food can vary wildly by state, and even within a state. Uniform labeling laws are a clear and urgent priority.
“We live in the information age, there is no reason that food labeling laws cannot keep with the times and give seniors access to information that meets the highest standards of science, and which are uniform across the board, whether they are cooking food at home, or sharing a meal with loved-ones after a trip along the interstate. Creating a uniform standard has the added benefit of lowering prices, saving food producers the cost of complying with a myriad of different state and local standards.
“More detailed, uniform and reliable information about the ingredients in our food, that also results in putting more money in consumers’ pockets, makes this legislation a top priority. On behalf of more than seven million senior supporters, 60 Plus strongly urges the passage of H.R. 1599.”
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