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Abstract: On July 29, 2016, the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 was amended to establish a National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (Law) (Pub. L. 114-216). The provisions of this rule, pursuant to the law, will serve as a national mandatory bioengineered food disclosure standard for bioengineered food and food that may be bioengineered.

Statement of Need:

This rule would establish a single, national standard to supersede a patchwork of similar standards implemented or planned by individual States.  The rule may be considered a regulatory reduction in that affected entities would be regulated by a uniform standard recognized in both interstate commerce and international trade. Consumers would benefit from a single standard for consistent messaging about bioengineered food in the market.

Summary of the Legal Basis:

The authority for this action is provided by the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 as amended by Pub. L. 114-216.

Alternatives:

The proposed rule evaluated alternative thresholds for which disclosure would be required and alternative definitions for the term "very small food manufacturer."

Anticipated Costs and Benefits:

Implementation of the standard is intended to coincide with that of the Food and Drug Administration's updated food labeling requirements.  Such coordination would reduce expenses for affected food manufactures, who would otherwise bear twice the cost of changing food labels to comply with each regulation.

Risks:

No risks have been identified at this time.