Glickman forecasts US food labelling - Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture - Brief Article

Eurofood, Feb 1, 2001

US agriculture secretary Dan Glickman is predicting an increase in the number of US food makers who voluntarily label products according to their content of GM ingredients. "I think the trend is unstoppable toward more and more labelling," Glickman said in an interview. "We've got to recognise that the consumer is king or queen in this mess.

Folks are going to want to know what's in their food." "By fighting labelling, you give the impression that there is something wrong with the product," added Glickman, who is wrapping up nearly six years as head of the USDA. While labels may be needed to satisfy consumer hunger for more information about foods they buy, the government should not require them, Glickman said. "I'm not calling for mandatory labelling because we don't have any of the testing and threshold mechanisms or would really know how to do it," he said. "You're going to find more and more companies engaged in labelling," Glickman said. "We have to work with them to make sure it's sensible, that the labelling means something and that it's not frightening." The USDA does not regulate food labelling. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has authority over food labels, is expected to soon issue guidelines to be used by companies that want to voluntarily label foods.