Tester declares today’s Senate vote a victory for transparency

Senator votes against legislation to deny consumers access to information

(U.S. Senate) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after leading the bipartisan charge to defeat the DARK Act:

“Today’s vote is a victory for transparency and for the American consumer. The DARK Act is a scam that leaves folks questioning what’s in their food. This is exactly the type of shady corporate ruse that the Senate should be protecting the public against. And I’m pleased today that we stopped bad legislation from moving forward.”

Tester has been a vocal opponent of the DARK Act, which would prohibit states from requiring food manufacturers to label products that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Currently there are no federal requirements for companies using genetically engineered ingredients to disclose that information on food labels, but a number of states have passed their own GMO labeling laws.

The DARK Act would severely undermine states’ rights by rendering these and any future state laws null and void, replacing them instead with a voluntary disclosure standard that would only allow consumers to get this information by scanning a barcode, visiting a website, or calling a 1-800 number.

The DARK Act’s supporters cite inconsistent labeling standards across states as a major reason for the bill. So, Senator Tester has introduced The Biotechnology Food Labeling and Uniformity Act to establish a nationwide standard regarding GMO labeling, so consumers can easily get the information they need without subjecting food manufactures to a piecemeal system of labeling requirements.