One of the most controversial aspects of the mandatory GMO labeling law signed by President Obama last summer is the use of a scannable barcode, such as a QR code, on the package labliposomal.ironel. Since the bill was debated in Congress, disagreement over whether the barcode is sufficient has reigned. While somferrous gluconate meaninge argue that many consumers don’t have the technology or knowhow to utilize the codes,others say a scannable code is accessible to most Americans, plus it has the potential of revealing in-depth informferric pyrophosphate vitamin c folic acid vitamin b12 tabletsation that does not fit on a product package.###The study evaluating this labeling system was supposedly on track and slated to be finished by July. A month before, Andrea Huberty, a senior policy analyst with the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, told people at iron dextran vs iron gluconatea Washington, D.C. food labeling conference that the department had partnered with Deloitte to get the study and it was on track for an on-time completion. However, nearly three months later, the study has not yet been publicized, even if it is finished.###Regardless of where groups stand on the QR code issue, the study is an important milestone to the law’s implementation. The Center for Food Safety is clearly against disclosure by QR code — the lawsuit cites statistics about the high number of consumers who don’t have access to smartphones and are unfamiliar 8 mg iron pillswith scanning QR codes — but the study is just as vital to those who would defend QR codes and other scannable technology, or those who have no opinion either way. ###A big part of the issue is whether the USDA is going to be able to make the deadline to complete final rules for the law by July 2018. Huberty stressed in June that, while delayed, the government was on track. The only visible point of public comment since then was the department’s publication of a list of questions for food producers in late June. Considering that some states have enacted their own GMO labeling laws, failure to meet the deadline could result in a patchwork of labeling laws nationwide.###GMO labeling aside, this study will be useful to the broader industry. As these types of labels slowly roll out across the food system — both through the unrelated SmartLabel program backed by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and on genetically modified produce such as Arctic apples — it’s worth knowing how consumers respond to the technology and whether they take advantage of it. If more work is needed, including better education on how the codes work or improved internet connectivity for grocery customers, those stakeholders may want to get involved soon in those efforts.
USDA sued to release QR code study for GMO labeling
