The U.S. Department of Agriculture is developing a voluntary certification program for foods that do not contain genetically engineered (GE) ingredients. The AP reports:

USDA’s move comes as some consumer groups push for mandatory labeling of the genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

The certification, the first of its kind, would be voluntary — and companies would have to pay for it. If approved, the foods would be able to carry a “USDA Process Verified” label along with a claim that they are free of GMOs. . . .

The government says GMOs on the market now are safe so mandatory labels aren’t needed.

Washington voters rejected a mandatory state-level GE labeling initiative in 2013. As we noted in our report on the proposal, we have all been eating GE foods for 20 years. Mandating a label for foods containing GE ingredients would effectively be a warning against the foods — even though they are safe. In Europe the effect has been that companies won’t use GE ingredients, leading to fewer choices for consumers. Vermont enacted a mandatory labeling law in 2014. It is not yet in effect, but it is already being challenged in federal court.

Voluntary, market-driven labeling of foods that do not contain GE ingredients is a much better approach. Companies may opt-in if they find there is a market in it, and they are already providing options for consumers: A private group (the Non-GMO Project) provides certification for products. Whole Foods will require all products sold by its stores to be labeled if they contain GE ingredients by 2018. Chipotle recently announced it will stop using GE ingredients. (The Washington Post editorializes, “Thus has a leading food company added its imprimatur to a global propaganda campaign that is not only contrary to the best scientific knowledge but also potentially harmful to vulnerable populations around the world.”) Add the USDA option to the list.