On July 1, 2016, a Vermont state law mandated labeling of food sold in Vermont that contains genetically modified ingredients. With this deadline looming, debate about the need for and content of a national GMO labeling law intensified. On July 14, 2016, the House of Representatives passed S.764 creating a framework to establish a National Bioengineered Food Standard. After it becomes effective, the law will immediately preempt the law of Vermont and all other state law "relating to the labeling or disclosure of whether food is bioengineered or was developed or produced using bioengineering." In the context of this ongoing debate, this chapter provides an introduction to the legal basics that govern the regulation of food containing GMOs and food that does not contain GMOs, a/k/a, organic food.

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"The Legal Basics of Genetically Modified Organisms and Organic Food Regulation," Trends in Agriculture: GMOs and Organics, September 2016