Testimony on H.112, a Bill to Require the Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food
Before the Senate Judiciary Committee
Montpelier, VT
By
Michael Hansen, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, Consumers Union
March 19, 2014
Thank you for the opportunity to present testimony on the constitutional and legal issues surrounding H.112, a bill that would require the labeling of food and food products derived from genetically engineered (GE) organisms. My name is Michael Hansen and I am a senior scientist at Consumers Union (CU), the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, whose headquarters is located in Yonkers, New York. I have worked on the issue of genetically engineered foods for more than 20 years and have been involved in the decisions/debate about these foods at the state, national and international levels.
The two major legal/constitutional questions associated with H.112 that I will discuss are: 1) is H.112 pre-empted by Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA)? 2) does H.112 violate the First Amendment?
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